<
        >

          Buster Olney Blog

          EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
          Get ESPN+

          Philly must deal Cole Hamels soon

          Cole Hamels is one of Philly's last useful trade chips at a time when rebuilding is inevitable. Rob Foldy/Getty Images
          • Buster Olney, ESPN Senior WriterFeb 5, 2015, 07:19 AM ET
            Close
            • Senior writer ESPN Magazine/ESPN.com
            • Analyst/reporter ESPN television
            • Author of "The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty"
            Follow on X

          If some rival evaluators are right, the best possible deal the Phillies could’ve made for Cole Hamels probably went off the board months ago.

          That was back before the July 31 trade deadline of 2014, when Hamels