Texas Rangers: Daydreaming the Return On a Cole Hamels Trade

Atlanta Braves

This is a fun one to think about on both ends. The Braves currently have the best record in the senior circuit, which is awesome, and they’re doing it with a mix of veteran leadership (Freddie Freeman, Ender Inciarte, Mike Foltynewicz) and youth (Ronald Acuna, Ozzie Albies, Sean Newcomb), which is also awesome. 

Only four Braves starters have made more than three starts this season, and of those four, one — Brandon McCarthy — seems likely to lose his spot in the rotation. There have been some supremely bright moments between youngsters Mike Soroka (recently moved to the DL) and Matt Wisler, and even Anibal Sanchez has stacked up decently in his two starts. Lefty Luis Gohara has an absolutely electric arm, but questions about his role on the club remain. 

Simply put, Hamels makes a ton of sense here. His presence around guys like Folty, Newcombe, and Soroka simply can’t be overstated, and with the Braves positioning themselves wonderfully to compete for a pennant this year and beyond, it’s not out of the question that Atlanta might pick up Hamels’ option for 2020. The Braves are loaded with front of the rotation talent in the minors, and come 2020, fans will likely start seeing the influx of guys like Kolby Allard, Kyle Wright, Ian Anderson…Joey Wentz…Max Fried…Kyle Muller…Touki Toussant…

Jees, Atlanta, knock that chit off. already. 

In my daydreams, the Rangers and Braves work out a big time trade here; personally I would be excited about a one-for-one deal, as Atlanta might be willing to deal from their pitching wealth to acquire a postseason performer like Hamels. While many in the game expected Atlanta to contend in 2019 and beyond, they’ve jumped the gun this season, and aren’t likely to settle for “just” an NLDS appearance this season. If Freeman and Co. keep it up through July, Atlanta might put that pedal to the metal. 

While Soroka, Allard, and Anderson are likely off the table (and while I’m not sure Texas would want a guy like Gohara unless he was part of a package), Joey Wentz might be a fair piece to ask for. After all, Atlanta can only use so many starting pitchers, right? Wentz has been lights-out in his brief minors career, and projects to start on the frontside of a rotation sometime around 2021.

Texas could potentially sweeten the pot with a guy like Keone Kela, and possibly end up with something like Joey Wentz, outfielder Christian Pache, and a low-level arm from the Braves system (perhaps former ‘Bama closer Thomas Burrows). 

Look, Rangers fans: Texas obviously has reason to love Kela: he’s got electric stuff, and a lion’s heart. That said, closers are often wasted on clubs who rarely have a lead to protect, and if he was the difference in a package like this, the Rangers would have to say yes. Burrows could step into the bullpen as soon as next season, and Kela might be a piece Atlanta has well beyond Hamels’ time in Atlanta. 

If this were 2017, I’d perhaps use Alex Claudio’s name here instead of Kela’s. That said, it seems likely that Claudio will pick himself up after a rough start to 2018, and the emergence of Jose Leclerc might also assuage the Rangers concerns about parting with Kela. 

This, I believe, is what the kids call a win-win.

Trade likelihood: 7.5/10