Cole Hamels Rumors: Contract Talks with Phillies to "Ramp Up"

The Philadelphia Phillies expect contract extension talks with left-hander Cole Hamels to "ramp up" this week as the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline approaches, reports Jerry Crasnick of ESPN:

The Philadelphia Phillies and pitcher Cole Hamels’ representatives expect to ramp up the pace of contract talks this week as they approach what a source said is a "sensitive" stage of negotiations.

With only eight days left until the end of the month, Crasnick notes that the Phillies "need to save themselves a window to re-engage with potential trade partners if they can’t reach a deal with Hamels."

The Phillies approached Hamels with a six-year, $130 million-range last week, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. This is within the range of the extension Matt Cain signed with the San Francisco Giants earlier this season.

Crasnick notes that Hamels has expressed interest in re-signing with the Phillies, even if the club trades him this summer. However, the 28-year-old has also hinted that he’s intrigued by the potential of testing the free agent market.

________________________________________________________________________________

Which team will Cole Hamels be pitching for next season?

________________________________________________________________________________