"Hollywood" to Hollywood Just Might Work

If anyone was to tell me before the season started that Cole Hamels was going to be traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, I would've had to do a double-take. Not necessarily because seeing the ace of one of the worst teams in baseball leave to play for a contender would shock me to any degree, but more so the elite level of caliber the contender's rotation would be. Kershaw, Greinke, and Hamels. All are number one starters for any team in the majors, and this trio is somewhat similar on paper to a 2011 Phillies team that boasted a Roy Halladay/Cliff Lee/Cole Hamels rotation.
The Phillies-Dodgers exchange seems logical on all angles, especially when the focal point of the deal is Cole Hamels. The lefty has a proven track record with playoff experience. In thirteen postseason games he has seven wins (BaseballReference.com), and the Dodgers, who are in "Win Now" mode, desperately need somebody reliable to call on come October. Also Hamels brings to the table a contract which a team can work with. He signed a seven-year deal in 2012 which carries him to 2018 with a team option for 2019 worth 159 million dollars. Having been a few years already into his current deal, the Dodgers would owe him around 79 million over the course of two and a half years. Now, most teams would cringe at the extensive amounts of dollars and the reported "high asking price" from Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., but Los Angeles, as most of us would imagine, is how do I put it... financially secure and they have some prospects that could suit the Phillies' needs.
One minor leaguer that comes to mind is catcher Julian Leon, of the Dodgers' single-A affiliate, the Great Lakes Loons. Leon, currently in his first full season with the Loons, is batting .204 with a .255 on base percentage. While the numbers so far don't look like a potential major league starting catcher, take into the account that he is nineteen years old, so ceiling is high for this prospect. Noted by MiLB.com has having "natural power to all fields" and "plus raw arm strength", Leon is expected to arrive in the Big Leagues by 2018. The Phillies, in comparison, have a starting catcher in Carlos Ruiz that they are perfectly fine with for now. He is aging though, being thirty-six, and with declining numbers, a long-term replacement is necessary. Leon, as mentioned earlier, has the capability of being a starting catcher, and being ranked eleventh in the Dodgers' farm system shows that the team holds high regard for him. You can see an example of Leon's power being shown off from a game from last year with the Ogden Raptors, a Dodgers' short season affiliate.

Another player rumored to be involved with a Cole Hamels deal is Yasiel Puig. A player who has shown the abilities a team would look for in a star, his locker room presence is what most people have cited as being the reason he is brought up in discussion. Local Philadelphia sports radio hosts tossed the idea of Puig coming to the Phillies and the general perception was positive from the fans, but almost every one of them came to the general consensus that a team that is rebuilding around young players should be cautious about bringing in a guy with "baggage", per say. Keep in mind, the Dodgers did trade starting center fielder Matt Kemp to the in-division rival San Diego Padres, so moving big names is not of concern to the team. The Phillies can only benefit from adding Puig to the roster, for they would get a major boost to the outfield offensively and defensively. Just watch his highlight tape and you will understand why the glove of Yasiel Puig can marvel the fans.

All in all, Cole Hamels to the Dodgers can bring both teams success in the future. LA would snag an ace for this year and years following and with Hamels' recent no-hitter, The Phillies could get three top prospects and a player like Yasiel Puig in return for the left hander. Even though there are some teams possibly in the mix for the three-time All Star, Cole Hamels would be best suited in Dodger blue.