Cole Hamels caught a ceremonial first pitch prior to Game 3 of the 2022 World Series alongside Jayson Werth, Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino. It was nice to see Hamels, a future Phillies Wall of Famer, back in red pinstripes again.
Hamels, the last active player from the 2008 World Series championship-winning squad, does not plan on retiring this season. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that Hamels “would like to pitch in 2023.”
Hamels, 38, last pitched a full season in 2019, where he posted a 3.81 ERA over 141 2/3 innings with the Chicago Cubs. He signed a one-year, $18 million deal with the Atlanta Braves in 2020, but only appeared in one game before a shoulder injury landed him on the injured list.
He signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in August 2021. His season came to an end before he got the chance to appear in a game when he experienced arm pain during his first simulated outing. Hamels underwent shoulder surgery the following offseason. Instead of ramping up for a possible comeback in 2022, Hamels decided to push back his next attempt at a return to spring 2023.
According to Spotrac, Hamels has earned just over $200 million in his major league career, but considering the price of starting pitching on the free agent market, Hamels could be rewarded handsomely for proving he can stay healthy for a full season. Maybe money isn’t the motivation and Hamels is determined to go out on his own terms and contribute on a playoff contender.
The Phillies do not have a spot for Hamels in the rotation. Barring injuries, the club has a top four of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suárez and Taijuan Walker and plans on reserving one rotation spot for a young arm. If Hamels signs another contract, it probably won’t be with the club he spent the first 10 years of his career with.
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