Jimmy Rollins: Hamels Told Me It’d Be “Lovely” to Play Together in LA

When Jimmy Rollins was first traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, it was speculated that Cole Hamels or even Chase Utley could be apart of that package.

Hamels, nor Utley  were apart of the package that sent Rollins to LA in exchange for young pitching, but he still could end up a Dodger.

In fact, Hamels told Rollins himself that it would be "lovely" to join him with the Dodgers this offseason.

Rollins revealed this in an interview with Harold Reynolds and Matt Vasgersian on MLB Network’s Hot Stove:

“I spoke with Cole right before I got traded and he was excited for me. He did talk about how lovely it would be if we both ended up in LA, that would be one heck of a move right there. I know he’s a big piece if they wanted to really rebuild and get as much as they can from any team. I know it’s hard for teams to let go of their one and two prospects, and that’s I’m sure what the Phillies are asking for. For him to win, even when we were good, he still had tough times winning. So now, I definitely feel that he wants to be somewhere where he can win. So, Chavez Ravine, Southern California, is a beautiful place.”

The Phillies have indeed drawn interest from the Dodgers on Hamels, but have been unwilling to part with the top prospects referred to by Rollins.

It's been reported that Phillies general manger Ruben Amaro views Hamels as one of the best pitchers in baseball and that has led to a stalled market for the ace.

Hamels isn't cheap, either.

The left-hander is guaranteed $96 million through the 2018 season with a $20 million team option for 2019 that can also vest at $24 million if certain milestones are achieved.

You can view Rollins interview below:

--PG