LA Angels Rumors: Is Cole Hamels a trade deadline fit after showcase?

FanSided’s national baseball columnist Robert Murray has reported that the LA Angels were in attendance for a showcase held for long-time MLB Ace Cole Hamels.

The showcase included two separate 30-pitch bullpen sessions. The Angels were in attendance, as well as some other teams that need starting pitching, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Philadelphia Phillies, The New York Yankees, and the St. Louis Cardinals. The Angels are in a situation where they have lots of uncertainties among the starting rotation.

Shohei Ohtani’s a stud, Alex Cobb is quietly pitching well this year, Patrick Sandoval has been solid, but that’s about it. Jose Quintana has been a major disappointment, and Dylan Bundy, Griffin Canning, and Andrew Heaney have all flopped. They need help desperately, and as long as he’s healthy, they should give Hamels a shot.

The LA Angels need to give themselves a chance by bringing Cole Hamels back to baseball.

The LA Angels need Cole Hamels because whatever they’ve been trying so far with their rotation has worked terribly. Sporting the seventh-worst starter’s ERA at 4.99, the Halos should absolutely kick the tires on a vet who’s never had an ERA over 4.32.

The rotation has improved slightly recently, but it still disappoints regularly. If Hamels’ health is right, what would be the downside of signing him? Don’t be fooled by his disappointing numbers in 2020; he literally only had one start.

The last time he played a full season, he went 7-7 with a 3.81 ERA. I haven’t seen any evidence that he can’t pitch. So, if I have the choice to help a struggling rotation with a former NLCS MVP, World Series MVP, and four-time All-Star, I’m doing it.

Hamels will need about a month (from Murray’s report on July 20th) before he can start in the Majors, but Murray reported that there were 19 other teams other than our Angels that went to the showcase. We have competition, and need to be the first team to pull the trigger.

If he’s on a mound by August 20th, we get about a month and a half of a good pitcher who has shown no real evidence of slowing down. One of the better pitchers from 2006-2019, Cole Hamels is a guy who the Angels need to bring in to improve.