Cole Hamels Is The Answer To The Red Sox In 2016

While I am sitting here salivating at the prospect of the Red Sox possibly being in on David Price and Aroldis Chapman this offseason, I have to keep it somewhat realistic. Cole Hamels to the Red Sox is looking less and less likely as the Trade Deadline approaches, but he may be the best answer for Boston. 

And the reason why might surprise you. 

Cole Hamels doesn't really do anything spectacular. His fastball isn't 97 mph, and his off speed stuff can't consistently get batters out, but he would be the best thing that the Red Sox have had since Jon Lester. However, Hamels has something that almost no one on the current Sox roster, aside from maybe the young kids and Dustin Pedroia, has: the hunger to win. 

While signing a better arm than Hamels, such as David Price, to a $200+ million contract adds that sex appeal that John Henry and the Fenway Sports Group lusts after, there are so many questions with giving a pitcher a huge contract. What if he blows his arm out a week into the season or lets himself go after a new fat contract? I don't think that a pitcher like David Price would do that, but it is something that the Red Sox have to consider when committing that amount of money to one player. 

Cole Hamels has already gotten those fat contracts. He has proven that he will go out there every fifth day and give it his all, even if he is playing for a terrible team or making $25 million a year. Not only will he already be under contract for years to come if you trade for him, but he will be out of his contract in a couple years, unlike an impending free agent, who would theoretically be on your team until 2022/2023. Hamels is under contract until, at the earliest, 2018, with a team option for 2019. 

He may not be the best pitcher out there, but he fits the mold for what the Red Sox are looking for in an ace in 2016. The Red Sox have some tough decisions coming up and all of Red Sox Nation hopes that they can put a team together that is worth watching next season. 

By Pete Packowski @Pete_BBS