Categories: Rumors

Cole Hamels hopes to pitch in 2022

Cole Hamels is a Phillies legend. (Icon Sportswire)

Cole Hamels’ time in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization was short-lived, as the four-time All-Star suffered a season-ending shoulder injury less than a month after he signed a $1 million deal to join the defending World Series Champions.

Nonetheless, word is that the former World Series MVP isn’t ready to hang up his spikes just yet. Jon Heyman of Audacy Sports says that Hamels “isn’t ready to retire yet and plans to give it another try.” With Hamels currently on the 60-day injured list, that try will have to come next season. That will make 2021 the first season where Hamels didn’t pitch in the major leagues since 2005.

A year ago, Hamels was limited to just 3 1/3 innings for the Atlanta Braves because of arm and shoulder injuries. The most recent extended look we’ve seen at Hamels came in 2019, when he went 7-7 with a 3.81 ERA and 4.09 FIP across 141 2/3 innings for the Chicago Cubs. Even in 2019, Hamels battled an oblique injury.

If Hamels gets another opportunity, it will certainly be a minor league deal that’s almost fully based on incentives. Even that’s not a guarantee, though it seems as if Hamels — set to turn 38 in December — will prepare in hopes of getting one last opportunity.

A first-round pick by the Phillies in the 2002 MLB Draft out of Rancho Bernardo High School in California, Hamels has a career record of 163-122 with a 3.43 ERA, 3.68 FIP and a 51.6 fWAR. He spent the first nine-and-a-half seasons of his career with the Phillies, and no Phillie has worn his No. 35 since he was traded to the Texas Rangers in July of 2015.