Phillies ace Cole Hamels has changed his tune since early July, when he announced he wanted to remain in Philadelphia and that he was happy there. While he is now claiming that he is not self-motivated to leave, he has stressed that he is driven by winning titles.
A run of championships does not seem to be on the horizon for an aging Phillies team that might require a rebuild before it returns to contention.
"I want to try to get as many [rings] as I can," he told the Philadelphia Daily News. "And I know my window of opportunity is only so large ... I'm in my prime, so I want to maximize what I can do and be an asset. I want to be an asset. That's the only thing I can do - be accountable and be an asset for something. And winning is the something."
Hamels, who signed a six-year, $144 million contract extension two years ago, has been rumored to be bound for Boston. The Boston Globe has claimed the Phillies have spent a great deal of time scouting the Red Sox for their major league-ready young talent.