Cubs: Team makes the right move in letting Hamels walk

Cole Hamels signed with the Atlanta Braves on a one-year, $18 million contract. The Chicago Cubs made the right move in letting him walk.

If the Chicago Cubs want to succeed in 2020, one of their most critical areas of concern is the starting rotation.

Veteran starters Jon Lester and Jose Quintana struggled throughout the season, posting 4.46 and 4.68 ERAs, respectively.

Among their options for the rotation in 2020 was southpaw Cole Hamels, who became a free agent after 2019. Though he began the campaign with an impressive 6-3 record and a 2.98 ERA, he struggled for the remainder of the season with both health and performance.

After missing all of June due to an oblique injury, Hamels posted an abysmal 1-4 record and an ERA of 5.79.

Despite that being $2 million less than the Cubs paid him in 2019, the club still made the right call in letting Hamels walk.

Quite frankly, Hamels isn’t worth the $18 million for a number of reasons.

To start, he’ll be 36 years old in 2020. Though still a young pup by life’s standards, that’s even more reason to be concerned with Hamels’ health and ability to rebound next year.

The Cubs are much better off taking the $18 million and putting it to a younger starter with much less risk. Among those options are coveted free agents Gerrit Cole and Dallas Keuchel, just to name a few.

Hamels is projected to post an 8-8 record with a 4.14 ERA in 2020. If the Cubs want to contend for a playoff spot and championship next season, they just simply can’t have four guys with an ERA above 4.00 as projected between Lester, Quintana, Hamels and Yu Darvish.

Obviously those are just projections, but it’s concerning nonetheless to think about four starters with an ERA above 4.00.

The Cubbies also have numerous internal options to fulfill a back-end spot.

Despite struggling in previous years as a starter, Tyler Chatwood showed some signs of promise in his five starts in 2019. Though walks are still a major concern, his strikeout to walk ratio was actually lower as a starter than as a reliever.

Youngster Alec Mills is also an option for the team if they were to look internally. Mills looked solid in his four starts last season, posting a 2.70 ERA in 20.0 innings pitched.

Despite the criticism, Hamels certainly was a solid piece for the Cubs during his tenure in the North Side. Numbers aside, he brings a competitiveness and veteran leadership that statistics can’t quite calculate.

Undoubtedly, this was a large factor in the Braves paying such a hefty price for Hamel’s skills.

It’s likely that the Cubs will face off against Hamels at Wrigley Field in early August when the Braves come to town for a four-game matchup.

Until then, we wish Hamels the best in Atlanta. Especially when they’re playing against the National League Central.