Phillies’ Cliff Lee Answers Questions Using Magic 8 Ball During Press Conference

Baseball season is finally underway, and Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee has already run out of answers for the media.

Following the pitchers and catchers’ first workout of the season, Lee used a Magic 8 Ball to field questions from reporters.

And Phillies camp is bound to get weirder…

Cole Hamels will still cost the Red Sox Blake Swihart - Over the Monster

The Red Sox should not trade Swihart for Hamels.

Ace Hamels still on Padres’ radar; Wil Myers not involved in talks - CBSSports.com

Can the Padres trade away every good prospect this off-season?

Could Hamels, Price or Scherzer be answer to Cards’ rotation needs? | FOX Sports

Are the Cardinals really involved in all of this?

MLB’s most interesting people in ‘15

Which executives, managers and players will drive the MLB narrative in the coming season? Here’s a look at the 15 most interesting people in baseball heading into 2015:

1. Rob Manfred
After an extended run as Bud Selig’s most trusted aide, Manfred takes center stage in late January as baseball’s 10th commissioner. He’ll try to maintain the momentum that has made baseball a $9 billion industry while setting an agenda on pace of play, changes in the draft and free-agent compensation system, and MLB’s efforts to reach out to a younger fan base. Manfred also needs to connect with Tony Clark and the players’ association while navigating the usual array of ownership labor hawks and doves in negotiations toward a new collective bargaining agreement in 2016.

2. Alex Rodriguez
Where do we start? A-Rod, who missed the entire 2014 season with a drug suspension, turns 40 in July. He’s six homers shy of tying Willie Mays’ total of 660 and collecting a $6 million bonus on top of the $61 million the Yankees already owe him. But the Yankees just signed third baseman Chase Headley to a four-year deal—yet another sign that they want Rodriguez to go away. Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter were universally revered at the end of their runs in the Bronx. The reception won’t be quite as fawning when the most polarizing figure in baseball reports to Steinbrenner Field for duty in February.

They don’t always drink beer. But when they do, its Dos Equis. Wait, is that a centaur joke?

Jim Bowden: Potential winter meetings trades (PAY)

BODES

Seattle Mariners | Los Angeles Dodgers | Milwaukee Brewers

Dodgers acquire: James Paxton from Seattle; Jean Segura from Milwaukee

The Dodgers have a lot of outfield depth and are looking to build with younger players as they seek a World Series title in the near future. Not an easy formula to make transactions. Matt Kemp has five years and $107 million remaining on his contract, and although I think it would be a mistake to trade him, the fact is that the Dodgers are listening to offers. The Mariners could offer them one of the best young left-handed starters in the game in Paxton to put in their rotation behind Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu. If they could pick up Segura in a three-way deal with the Brewers, they would have their stopgap shortstop until top prospect Corey Seager is ready for the majors (or is moved to third base). Segura, 24, had a down year, but should return close to his 2013 form, when he hit .294 with 12 home runs and 44 stolen bases. The Dodgers would still have Yasiel Puig, Joc Pederson, Carl Crawford and Andre Ethier in their outfield.

Mariners acquire: Ryan Braun from Milwaukee

If the Mariners want to win the AL West next year, they have to acquire a big right-handed hitter to hit between Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager in their lineup, and Braun would be the perfect fit. GM Jack Zduriencik’s claim to fame when he was with the Brewers was his drafting of Braun, and he’d love to get reunited with him in Seattle. The Mariners have Chris Taylor—who could take over shortstop for Brad Miller, who would go to Milwaukee in this potential deal—and would still have a strong starting rotation with Felix Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma, Taijuan Walker and Roenis Elias, even if they traded Paxton. Of course, they would have to probably sign a midlevel free agent like Brandon McCarthy or Kyle Kendrick after a trade like this.

Brewers acquire: Matt Kemp from Los Angeles; Miller from Seattle

The Brewers had to be concerned with Braun’s loss of power during the past couple of years. Granted, it’s probably because of the numbness in his right thumb that they now think has completely healed. However, after watching Kemp the last two months of the season, there is no doubt that he would be an upgrade over Braun, and while they may lose some in the swap of shortstops, it would be worth it to have less risk with Kemp than Braun. In addition, the deal would send a wake-up call and be a clubhouse chemistry change to a team that collapsed in September.

Cole Hamels wants out, but trade could be costly

I’m not sure that snacks will be enough.

Cole Hamels fuels Phillies’ hot stove | Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia

So what will it take to get Hamels?

Industry sources say the Phils are looking for at least three top prospects, two that can play right now and another that isn’t far away. The Cubs and Red Sox are two known suitors and both have the farm systems to get a deal done — if they are willing to meet the Phillies’ rightfully high asking price. Amaro and interim club president Pat Gillick must play the Cubs and Red Sox (and maybe even the Dodgers) against each other as they try to maximize their return on Hamels. If they don’t get what they want, they should hang on to Hamels and float his name again in July when a pitching-thirsty contender might be more desperate to ante up.

Cubs looking again at Cole Hamels, plus top free-agent pitchers - CBSSports.com

If the Red Sox and Cubs are in the mix for Hamels, the Phillies should be able to make a nice deal?

The Cubs, already connected heavily in speculative reports about top free-agent pitchers Jon Lester and Max Scherzer, are also interested in Cole Hamels, according to sources, and are expecting to talk to the Phillies about him.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Cubs will look into Hamels, who’s comparable to the top two free-agent pitchers, and also available.

It isn’t known how the Cubs are prioritizing the top available starting pitchers, but suffice it to say they will investigate all three, and possibly James Shields, who has connections with new Cubs manager Joe Maddon. Chicago has a superb group of young position players but to compete, it must upgrade its pitching staff, particularly the rotation.

Passan: 10 Degrees: Cole Hamels’ trade value might be Phillies’ lone bright spot

I assume a ‘shop of Amaro looking like Derpy Hooves already exists, what with this being the Internet.

BTW, Harrison also leads the NL in Chadwick Ratio.

The latest reminder that the Philadelphia Phillies are an actual major league ballclub, as opposed to a Ruben Amaro Jr. fever dream in which he endeavors to lavish old, older and oldest ballplayers with contracts bad, worse and what were you thinking, came Monday afternoon. Four Phillies pitchers combined to no-hit the Atlanta Braves. It was a cool moment.

Particularly because it reminded the world that not only does Cole Hamels still exist amid the mountain of derp that is these Phillies, he is turning in one of his finest seasons at the perfect time for Philadelphia to cash in… Amaro told Philadelphia reporters Monday that he planned on overhauling his roster this offseason, which is all well and good in a fantasy land where opposing teams agree to pay full freight for the overpaid boondoggles with which he has saddled the Phillies….  if the Phillies want to start over – and they need to start over – they’ve got to trade Cole Hamels.

Anybody who performs so improbably well that he finds himself on an MVP ballot a year after logging fewer than 100 plate appearances deserves every bit of praise imaginable.

[Josh] Harrison’s selection into the All-Star Game this year got waylaid in this space as an overreaction to a small sample of productivity. All Harrison has done since the break is lead baseball with a .599 slugging percentage. Yes, 5-foot-8 Josh Harrison is outslugging Abreu, Big Papi, Giancarlo Stanton and every other leviathan who can punish a ball 500 feet.

In the six weeks since the break, Harrison has hit eight home runs in 167 at-bats. Over his first three seasons in the major leagues, he hit seven in 532 at-bats.

Matt Shoemaker… turns 28 at the end of September, and his major league career before this season consisted of one start at the end of last season.

He had journeyman written all over him, what with back-to-back seasons of palindromic 5.65 and 4.64 ERAs at Triple-A… Since joining the rotation June 17, Shoemaker is 11-3 with a 2.70 ERA, 80 strikeouts and 13 walks. Opponents are hitting .229 against him and getting on base 26.5 percent of the time. His current scoreless-inning streak is at 23, and he should be a lock for AL pitcher of the month in August, during which he went 6-1 with a 1.31 ERA and allowed just two home runs in 41 1/3 innings.

No-hitter! Four Phillies pitchers combine to blank the Braves

Jesse Spector
@jessespector

Congratulations to the Phillies on filling 58 minutes of their hour-long season highlight video!

The Phillies have no-hit the Braves. It was a combined effort, with Cole Hamels, Jake Diekman, Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon combining on the effort. Hamels took the first six innings and each of the relievers handled an inning. They combined to strike out 12 Braves hitters… it was the 12th no-hitter in franchise history. And the first ever combined no-no for Philly…

Cole Hamels… wasn’t a study in efficiency. H threw 108 pitches and walked five guys, but no one managed a hit off of him.