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Philadelphia is expected to deal Cole Hamels before the end of the month but the Marlins might have delayed the process. Hamels made the start in the Phillies' 8-7 victory over Miami on Sunday afternoon and FOX Sports' Jon Morosi notes it is challenging to evaluate Hamels when he is pitching against a lineup missing several key bats.
May be difficult to draw many conclusions from this Cole Hamels start, with Marlins lineup missing Stanton, Gordon, Morse.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 19, 2015
Miami's lineup did not feature Gordon and his speed or Stanton or Morse and their respective power to open the second half of the season. Gordon is out with a dislocated thumb, Stanton is on the disabled list following hand surgery, and Morse has not received consistent starting time as a result of the success of Ichiro Suzuki in the outfield and Justin Bour at first base.
Early in the game, Morosi added if Hamels struggled against the Marlins' lineup without Stanton and Gordon, some contending clubs might think twice before considering adding the veteran lefty.
Then again, if Cole Hamels struggles, skepticism about him will increase. And Marlins lead 1-0, with runners on corners and 0 out in 2nd.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 19, 2015
The Marlins were able to knock Hamels, who allowed eight hits and five runs, out of the game after just three innings. He did not issue a walk and did record a strikeout however did not pitch like the ace the Phillies have known him to be.
Although the Marlins were able to get to him early, Hamels has still had success in 2015. He has posted a 3.63 ERA and 3.40 FIP over 116.2 innings and would likely significantly improve a contending team's rotation. The Astros and Dodgers are among the teams in pursuit of a top starter.
Philadelphia is rebuilding and as a result will likely deal Hamels over the next few days. But the Marlins might have made doing so a bit more challenging on Sunday afternoon.