KANSAS CITY, MO - JUNE 19: Cole Hamels #35 of the Texas Rangers throws in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on June 19, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) After an afternoon filled with a flurry of rumors, the Texas Rangers finally agreed to send Cole Hamels to the Chicago Cubs for two pitchers and a PTBNL. Rangers Get RHP Rollie Lacy, RHP Eddie Butler, PTBNL Cubs Get LHP Cole Hamels, Cash Considerations The inevitable finally happened Thursday night as the Texas Rangers reached an agreement to send Cole Hamels to the Chicago Cubs for two pitchers and a Player To Be Named Later. Obviously we can’t fully evaluate this deal because we don’t know the third piece but we can assume the quality of the PTBNL and move from there. Trading Cole Hamels was a necessary evil with the current situation the Rangers are in. The 34-year old lefty provided no long-term value to the rebuilding team and his hefty $20 million team option for 2019 meant Texas was on the verge of letting him leave for the cost of his $6 million buyout this offseason. The market for Hamels, while tangible, was not nearly what Rangers fans had hoped after Hamels abysmal performances in July. Texas knew that the return for Cole wouldn’t be franchise changing, but getting something for him was the key. Nitty Gritty of the Deal Texas acquired two pitchers in the deal with the Cubs, one a prospect, the other a big leaguer. Additionally they have a Player To Be Named Later which reportedly will be named in the next few weeks. Jeff Wilson of the Star Telegram tweeted that the list included pitchers and position players. While often these players aren’t world changers, they sometimes become good players. There’s a possibility that it could even be a higher ranked player than Rollie Lacy. The most notable PTBNL the Rangers picked up in recent memory was Neftali Feliz from the Atlanta Braves. #Rangers will select player to be named in Cole Hamels trade in a few weeks from a predetermined list of minor-leaguers, Jon Daniels said. List includes pitchers and position players. — Jeff Wilson (@JeffWilson_FWST) July 27, 2018 In addition to Cole Hamels, the Rangers also will be covering a portion of the money still owed to him. Hamels still has about $8 million left in 2018 and also has a $20 million team option with a $6 million buyout. Between the 2018 salary and buyout, he essentially is owed $14 million. Texas likely is going to cover around $8 million of that remaining money. Jeff Wilson notes however, that if the Cubs elect to pick up Hamels 2019 option the Rangers won’t have to cover the $6 million. #Rangers will potentially send Cubs around $8 million — $2M to cover remainder of Cole Hamels' 2018 salary and $6 million for buyout. If Cubs pick up option for 2019, Rangers don't pay the $6 million. — Jeff Wilson (@JeffWilson_FWST) July 27, 2018 RHP Rollie Lacy The first being pitching prospect Rollie Lacy, a 23-year old right-hander who the Rangers assigned to High-A Down East. Not a highly touted prospect, Lacy was an 11th round draft pick of the Cubs in 2017. He’s made some strides this season between the Cubs Single-A and High-A affiliates. With Single-A South Bend, Lacy appeared in 16 games, making 10 starts and posting a 4-1 record. His 2.02 ERA helped turn some heads within the Cubs organization and saw him promoted to High-A ball. He struggled for High-A Myrtle Beach but will look to right the ship when he gets in with the Wood Ducks. Long term potential for Lacy is on the high end, back of the rotation starter and low end he doesn’t make it out of Triple-A. Most likely he ends up as a long reliever in the majors. RHP Eddie Butler Butler is the major league pitcher that came to the Rangers in this deal. A 27-year old righty, Butler is joining the big league club in Houston for their next series. In 2018, Butler has made 8 bullpen appearances for Chicago and posted a 4.08 ERA. In 17.2 innings he’s struck out 11 and walked 7 batters. Butler makes sense as an acquisition as he isn’t eligible to become a free agent until 2023 meaning Texas can hold onto him for four years. This gives the Rangers a chance to essentially give Butler a season and a half tryout while they work on their rebuild. Grade: C+ In short, this was a good trade because it was a necessary one. Even though Texas didn’t acquire any top tier prospects, they were able to save some money on Hamels contract and also get a player in Lacy who could help them down the road. There’s also a possibility that the Player To Be Named Later in this deal could be a higher rated prospect than Lacy but that remains to be seen. Depending on who that player is, this deal could get a bit better in a couple of weeks.<doc-sep>R. Yeatts/Getty Images The Texas Rangers have traded starting pitcher Cole Hamels to the Chicago Cubs, the Cubs announced Friday. The Rangers receive right-handed pitching prospect Rollie Lacy, right-handed reliever Eddie Butler and a player to be named later. The Dallas Morning News' Evan Grant first reported the deal Thursday. Hamels has been rumored as a trade candidate for more than a year, so it's no surprise the Rangers dealt the lefty in the midst of a 42-61 season that's left them 24.5 games behind the Houston Astros for the American League West lead. Plus, Hamels is in the final guaranteed year of his contract. His 2019 salary would come on a $20 million club option, and while that figure will become fully guaranteed if he pitches 400 combined innings in 2017 and 2018, there's a $6 million buyout if he doesn't eclipse the required thresholds. Future financial considerations aside, Hamels is a quality addition with playoff experience who can provide Chicago's rotation with a boost. Video Play Button Videos you might like Through 20 starts in 2018, the 2008 World Series MVP and four-time All-Star has gone 5-9 with a 4.72 ERA and 1.37 WHIP while logging a 2.71 strikeout-to-walk rate. Those numbers may not be staggering, but the Cubs are making a low-risk, high-reward move by adding Hamels to a staff that will feature Jon Lester, Jose Quintana, Kyle Hendricks and Yu Darvish, once the latter returns from his triceps injury.<doc-sep>Another Major League Baseball pitcher is on the move. The Texas Rangers reportedly have agreed to trade starting pitcher Cole Hamels to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for minor-league players, per Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan. In order to cover the salary of Hamels, Passan notes Texas also will send a “significant amount of cash.” The 34-year-old adds some help to a Cubs rotation that has underachieved this season, despite leading the National League Central. And although the lefty is 5-9 with a 4.72 ERA through 20 starts this season, he brings a veteran presence and another arm for what could be a deep playoff run for Chicago. The MLB non-waiver trade deadline is next Tuesday July 31. Thumbnail photo via Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports Images<doc-sep>Gearing up for another October run, the Chicago Cubs made a big move Thursday night, acquiring veteran lefty Cole Hamels from the Texas Rangers, according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been announced. Chicago desperately needed to add a starting pitcher as the club seeks its fourth consecutive trip to the postseason. Yu Darvish, signed to six-year, $126 million deal in the offseason, has only made nine starts this season. Tyler Chatwood was another winter addition – for $38 million – and has a 4.84 ERA in 18 starts, with 85 walks - 37 more than any other NL starter. Hamels, 34, is having the worst season of his career – 5-9 with a 4.72 ERA in 20 starts – but has plenty of playoff experience. In 16 career postseason starts, 13 of them with the Phillies, he has a 3.48 ERA. Hamels was the MVP of the 2008 NLCS and World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Rangers are expected to send a significant amount of cash to the Cubs to offset the $8 million or so remaining on Hamels' $22.5 million salary for 2018 - along with a $6 million buyout of a 2019 option.<doc-sep>
The Chicago Cubs reportedly added a battle-tested former ace to their rotation Thursday, acquiring veteran left-hander Cole Hamels from the Texas Rangers. Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan confirmed the trade is done and that the Rangers will get minor leaguer Rollie Lacy and a player to be named later in return from the Cubs, while Chicago will also get cash toward the rest of Hamels’ $23.5 million salary this season. Sources: The Chicago Cubs have a deal to acquire Cole Hamels from the Texas Rangers, who will receive minor leaguers in return. Texas sending a significant amount of cash to cover Hamels’ salary. Hamels gives the Cubs rotation depth and an October-tested veteran arm. — Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 27, 2018 Cole Hamels to the Cubs is done, pending medicals, sources tell Yahoo Sports. — Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 27, 2018 There had not been a lot of buzz around Hamels, 34, leading up to the trade until recently. What speculation there was always seemed to center around a potential return to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Cubs quickly emerged as frontrunners early Thursday and were able to finalize a deal quickly. Adding a starting pitcher became a priority for Chicago with Yu Darvish’s status up in the air and Tyler Chatwood faltering. Both pitchers were signed during the offseason. Hamels is in the final year of a seven-year $159 million contract. [Yahoo Fantasy Football leagues are open: Sign up now for free] Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News was first to report the two sides had agreed to a deal. Neither team has formally announced the trade, though players need to be notified and pass physicals before the trade becomes official. The Texas Rangers have traded starting pitcher Cole Hamels to the Chicago Cubs. (AP) What does Cole Hamels bring to the Cubs? Story continues Hamels perceived value is vastly different than it was three years ago, when he was traded from Philadelphia to Texas along with reliever Jake Diekman for a package of six prospects. People remember Hamels as a frontline ace, 2008 World Series MVP and four-time All-Star. That’s not the case anymore. So far this season, Hamels has a 4.72 ERA and has allowed 23 home runs, which is tied for second most in MLB. Nothing highlights the difference more than how his stints ended. In his final Phillies start in 2015, Hamels fired a no-hitter against the Cubs to send his value soaring. In his final Rangers start on Monday, Hamels allowed seven earned runs over five innings. Since the beginning of June, Hamels has posted a 6.02 ERA over nine starts. The silver lining might be in Hamels’ home/road splits. Hamels has a 2.93 ERA in 10 starts on the road this year, compared to a 6.41 ERA in 10 starts at home. Chicago’s hope is that a change of scenery will help, and that a chance to win another championship will bring out the best in Hamels again for the stretch run. More from Yahoo Sports: • LeBron Jr.’s basketball game cancelled amid security concerns • Red Sox manager ticked at Orioles’ postponing game Boston led 5-0 • Kevin Durant’s latest social media feud: McCollum called him soft • Conor McGregor reaches plea deal in NYC assault case