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Texas Rangers: Daydreaming the Return On a Cole Hamels Trade

By Jared Pelham Stuart

ARLINGTON, TX - MAY 05: Cole Hamels #35 of the Texas Rangers looks up as he walks to the dugout in the first inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Park in Arlington on May 5, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - MAY 05: Cole Hamels #35 of the Texas Rangers looks up as he walks to the dugout in the first inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Park in Arlington on May 5, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) /
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA – APRIL 03: Robinson Cano #22 of the Seattle Mariners takes batting practice before their game against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on April 3, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

Seattle Mariners

This wouldn’t be the first time the Rangers and Mariners made a huge pitching splash at the deadline: in 2010, Texas shipped Justin Smoak, Blake Beavan, Josh Lueke, and Matt Lawson to Seattle for Cliff Lee and Mark Lowe. 

The tables will have turned if the two clubs make a deal around Hamels this season; currently, Seattle is two games back of the Astros, and are no doubt hoping to be one of several clubs in the AL competing for that second Wild Card spot (assuming, of course, that one of Boston or New York will have the first). 

With Robby Cano’s suspension, there’s no telling what is to happen to the Mariners. It’s a steep climb without him, but, adding a pitcher like Hamels to a rotation with James Paxton and Felix Hernandez would certainly be a power move by a GM who has never been short on cajones. 

Unlike the Cubs, Seattle isn’t flush with prospects. They’ve got Kyle Lewis (their #1 pick in 2017), but no other prospect of theirs is especially highly regarded. Obviously, baseball is filled with mystery, and players are constantly falling short of, or exceeding, expectations. 

Right-hander Sam Carlson was the Mariner’s second-round choice in 2017, and projects almost exclusively as a starter. While he is a youngster (drafted out of high school), and would require Texas to shoulder his developmental responsibility (no sure thing), a guy like Carlson could potentially file in with the aforementioned youngsters in Texas’ system, with the potential to help break in the new stadium in 2020 and beyond. 

Seattle also has Max Povse, who, for a moment, looked like a bright star in Atlanta’s system (the Braves shipped him to Seattle last fall for Alex Jackson). Povse is a giant (6’8), but isn’t overpowering. His ceiling is low, but his size alone should allow him to at least contribute at the back of a rotation. Perhaps the upside on size and pitchability could intrigue Texas — though they’ve already got a biggun’ in their system in Connor Sadzek. 

Personally, I’m a fan of Oliver Jaskie, a soft-throwing lefty with good, weird mechanics and a boo-yah changeup. (Seriously, click the link.)

Of course, Seattle could dangle position players, though if they are in a playoff hunt, it seems unlikely to benefit them if they were to trade from their 25 man. The Mariners have a lot of athletes in their farm (Evan White, Julio Rodriguez), and while Texas is in dire need of arms, there might be some position players worth entertaining. This is a 34-year-old Cole Hamels, remember, and not a Chris Sale situation. 

If we’re getting crazy, Texas could include Delino Deshields (securing Dee Gordon’s spot at second in 2019+), and maybe turn the wheels on a deal revolving around a still-recovering Kyle Lewis). 

Trade likelihood: 5/10 (this is entirely, entirely dependent upon Seattle sticking around in Cano’s absence, which I highly, highly doubt they will). 

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