Philadelphia has yet to find a deal it likes involving Cole Hamels however the veteran lefty continues to draw a notable amount of interest. The Yankees have contacted the Phillies with regard to Hamels, according to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi, however New York is not open to moving the prospects Philadelphia is interested in.
#Yankees contacted #Phillies on Hamels, sources tell me and @jonmorosi. PHI likes Judge; NYY not planning to move Judge, Bird, Severino.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 25, 2015
With Scott Kazmir being traded to the Astros on Thursday, the market for starting pitching is expected to pick up. Hamels is scheduled to take the mound on Saturday afternoon against the Cubs and has had success through 19 starts this season. Over 119.2 innings, he has posted a 3.91 ERA and 3.37 FIP. He has served as the Phillies' ace and has proven to be a durable option after tossing 204.2 innings and posting a 2.46 ERA in 2014.
Although the Phillies are rebuilding and open to dealing Hamels, Rosenthal notes while the Phillies are fond of prospect Aaron Judge, the Yankees have no interest in moving him. At 23, Judge has seen time in both Double and Triple-A this season. He was batting .284/.350/.516 with 12 home runs and 44 RBIs before being promoted and is bating .275/.358/.368 through 21 games in Triple-A.
Rosenthal adds the Yankees are not likely to trade prospects Gregory Bird or Luis Severino either, which might make acquiring Hamels unrealistic. Bird, 22, posted six home runs and 29 RBIs through 49 games in Double-A before being promoted. He is batting .308/.392/.492 through 77 games in Triple-A. Severino has posted a 2.11 ERA over 55.1 innings in Triple-A.
Saturday might be Hamels' last start with the Phillies and the Yankees could make a proposal Philadelphia is fond of. But if the Yankees are adamant about not moving top prospects, they might have to consider other starting pitching options.