CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs are making a “strong push” for Texas Rangers left-hander Cole Hamels, according to a source familiar with the situation.
The Cubs stepped up their efforts on Thursday after losing out on lefty J.A. Happ, who was traded by the Toronto Blue Jays to the New York Yankees.
Hamels, 34, has a 5-9 record and a 4.72 ERA this season, but has been much better on the road — and away from hitter-friendly Texas — where he has a 2.93 ERA. He’s given up 16 home runs over 59 innings at home and 7 home runs over 55 1/3 innings on the road.
Hamels would likely slide into the Cubs’ rotation in place of either Tyler Chatwood or Mike Montgomery. Chatwood walked six batters in the Cubs’ 7-6 walk-off win over Arizona on Thursday, giving him 85 walks in 94 innings.
A four-time All-Star, Hamels is 152-111 with a 3.43 ERA in his 14th season in the league. He played for the Phillies from 2006 to 2015 and won a World Series, a World Series MVP and an NLCS MVP with them in 2008. On July 25, 2015, in his last start for Philadelphia before being traded to the Texas Rangers, Hamels no-hit the Cubs at Wrigley Field.