Categories: PostsSignings

Breaking News: Phillies Sign Cole Hamels For 3 Years

Jon Heyman of SI.com reports the Phillies have signed pitcher Cole Hamels to a three-year, $20.5 million contract. Hamels has avoided arbitration.

Hamels will get $4.35 million in 2009, $6.65 million in 2010 and $9.5 million in 2011. It’s the largest deal for a pitcher in his first deal of arbitration.

As it stands, that’s a steal for Hamels, and provides him with the security he wants until he turns 28. It takes out three of his four arbitration years (Hamels is a Super-Two and can hit arbitration once more in 2012), meaning the Phils could be potentially saving a couple million with this deal. Of course, down the road it could mean a huge deal for the ace left-hander, but for now, it’s a very solid deal for both sides.

Tim Malcolm

Tim first found the Phillies as a little infant at Veteran’s Stadium, cheering on a Juan Samuel game-winning home run in his very first game. With the pinstripes in his blood, he witnessed Terry Mulholland’s 1990 no-hitter, “Steve Carlton Night” at the Vet, game three of the 1993 World Series, countless games during the charmed 2008 championship season and various road excursions. Since November 2007 Tim’s been writing about them daily at Phillies Nation, becoming one of the world’s most popular Phillies scribes. You can catch him on Twitter and Facebook, as well. When he’s not talking about the Phils he’s relaxing with a St. Bernardus ABT 12 or one of his many favored brews.