Tweet
Cole Hamels, Braves reach 1-year, $18 million deal
Left-hander Cole Hamels signed a one-year, $18 million contract with the Atlanta Braves, the team announced Wednesday.
When healthy, Hamels was as good as anyone in the National League last season, but he was plagued by injuries. Before an oblique strain sent him to the injured list, his ERA hovered under 3.00 for the Chicago Cubs. In 10 starts for the Cubs after returning, Hamels compiled a 5.79 ERA. He was never the same, mostly because of his mechanics.
The 14-year veteran finished last season with a 7-7 record and 143 strikeouts with a 3.81 ERA. He threw fewer than 150 innings (141 1/3) for just the third time in his career, and his 1.39 WHIP was a career worst, largely due to walking 3.6 batters per nine innings, also a career high.
For his career, Hamels is 163-121 with a 3.42 ERA and 2,558 strikeouts, and he ranks seventh among active pitchers for wins. He was the MVP of the 2008 World Series and NL Championship Series for the Philadelphia Phillies, with whom he entered the majors in 2006 and spent the first nine-plus seasons of his career before being traded to the Texas Rangers in 2015.
When healthy, Hamels was as good as anyone in the National League last season, but he was plagued by injuries. Before an oblique strain sent him to the injured list, his ERA hovered under 3.00 for the Chicago Cubs. In 10 starts for the Cubs after returning, Hamels compiled a 5.79 ERA. He was never the same, mostly because of his mechanics.
The 14-year veteran finished last season with a 7-7 record and 143 strikeouts with a 3.81 ERA. He threw fewer than 150 innings (141 1/3) for just the third time in his career, and his 1.39 WHIP was a career worst, largely due to walking 3.6 batters per nine innings, also a career high.
For his career, Hamels is 163-121 with a 3.42 ERA and 2,558 strikeouts, and he ranks seventh among active pitchers for wins. He was the MVP of the 2008 World Series and NL Championship Series for the Philadelphia Phillies, with whom he entered the majors in 2006 and spent the first nine-plus seasons of his career before being traded to the Texas Rangers in 2015.