Cubs Make Bad Decision by Not Extending Cole Hamels Qualifying Offer
By Michael Luciano
Cole Hamels has done nothing but get big outs and eat up innings for 14 years, but apparently Theo Epstein didn't include him in the plans for 2020.
After the Chicago Cubs missed the playoffs in what proved to be Joe Maddon's final season as manager, Epstein is already beginning the restructuring of the Cubs roster, declining to extend a $17.8 million qualifying offer to veteran starting pitcher Cole Hamels.
Source: Cubs did not make a qualifying offer (one year, $17.8M) to Cole Hamels. There will be no compensatory Draft pick linked to his signing elsewhere.@ESPNChiCubs was on it first.
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) November 4, 2019
This feels like a deal that will come back to bite the Cubs in the butt early in the 2020 season.
Hamels, who posted a 3.81 ERA in 27 starts, was in a rotation that also featured Jon Lester, Yu Darvish and Kyle Hendricks last season. Only Hendricks posted a lower ERA.
With the free agent market outside of the big fish not super plentiful as far as starters go, and years of trades having gutted the Cubs' farm system of pitching talent, letting Hamels go comes off as an extremely puzzling move.
#Cubs roster moves: No qualifying offer to Cole Hamels, Colin Rea added to 40-man roster #mlb https://t.co/1Do2f3mLA2 pic.twitter.com/iEiTQx802A
— Al Yellon (@bleedcubbieblue) November 4, 2019
The David Ross era is already off to a strange start, as they prevented an underperforming staff from bringing back a rock solid starter. This is likely the start of an interesting (in both meanings of the word) offseason in Wrigleyville.