Chicago Cubs Rumors: Pursuit of Cole Hamels gaining steam

Chicago Cubs rumors are once again at an all-time high, this time centered around Cole Hamels.

Over the last week or two, the Chicago Cubs have had many names linked to them in regards to this year’s MLB trade deadline. Early in the season, of course, it was Manny Machado — who ultimately went to a National League rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In more recent weeks, tons of names have been thrown around. Whether it was Zach Britton (traded to New York Yankees), Brad Hand (traded to Cleveland Indians) or Adam Conley (not yet dealt), the rumored names have not stopped.

The trend, of course, has been that the Cubs are interested in adding pitching. Offensively, they should be fine if they put it all together. Theo Epstein and Joe Maddon likely aren’t concerned with the team’s ability to add runs. But, preventing runs? That’s a different story.

Thursday afternoon, it was reported that the most recent target for the Cubs is none other than Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cole Hamels.

With Yu Darvish‘s status still uncertain and his inability to get out of the fifth inning when he is on the mound, the Cubs can’t count on him just yet. Tyler Chatwood, meanwhile, has struggled mightily, especially when it comes to walking batters. Kyle Hendricks hasn’t even been his normal self this year, oddly enough.

The Cubs have seen mostly consistent pitching from Jon Lester and I would even argue Jose Quintana as well. Quintana has come around more and more after having some questionable moments to start the year, and Lester has been borderline elite for the majority of his campaign.

Hamels obviously brings a lot of experience to the Cubs and, above all else, that is an enormous benefit. Having a guy who has pitched in big moments in the past is a positive. Whether or not he’s the same guy he was a few years back is irrelevant at this point. He might just be the best available option for Chicago at this point.

Recently, Hamels has been lit up for 25 total runs (21 earned) over his last four appearances. Prior to July, he finished each of the previous two months with an ERA of 3.34 and 3.20, respectively. I would venture to say his price tag has come down in recent weeks, which could bode well for the Cubs.

What’s intriguing about Hamels is that he has been much better on the road than he has been at home this year. It’s odd. But, maybe his last few starts have just been a bump in the road and a change of scenery in Chicago is what he needs. Maybe that’s just a Cubs fan thinking positively. What we do know, for sure, is that things are heating up and Hamels could very well become a Cub in the coming hours.