The Rangers will still be willing to acquire Cole Hamels even without a guarantee of a contract extension, Buster Olney of ESPN reported Tuesday.
With Colby Lewis sidelined for the rest of the season with an elbow injury, the Rangers could be looking even harder to acquire a starting pitcher. They've been connected with both Hamels and Zack Greinke of the Milwaukee Brewers, the top two pitchers on the market this season.
Hamels is in his final arbitration season on a $15 million salary. The Phillies are willing to offer him a six-year deal approaching $130 million, according to Jon Heyman. Some teams have already backed off of their pursuit of Hamels as a result, believing the Phillies will manage to sign him.
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