Padres still interested in Cole Hamels

The San Diego Padres still have at least one item on their offseason to-do list: make me cry. Yes, the Padres specifically want to make me cry because they're evil. And because they still want to acquire Phillies ace Cole Hamels.

Jon Heyman is reporting that the Padres are still interested in trading for Hamels. Recently acquired outfielder Wil Myers is no longer rumored to be involved, though earlier in the offseason he was said to be part of the talks. Now the focus is on prospects.

The Padres have managed to keep most of their highest rated prospects even after all their many trades, with the top trio of outfielder Hunter Renfroe, pitcher Matt Wisler and catcher Austin Hedges seemingly on everyone's wish list.

Good news for the Phillies, who are looking for a very large package in return for Hamels, and rightly so regardless of what anyone else might think. I also consider this to be good news:

Yet another rival exec suggested the Phillies are looking for a "huge" package in return for Hamels, to the point where that exec questioned whether Philly is committed to trading Hamels as they are telling teams they are...

Nothing would send me to the looney bin faster than the Phillies trading Cole Hamels for anything less than an outstanding return. I might actually explode if that happens. I'm not kidding. Actual exploding. So whether or not they're truly serious about trading Hamels doesn't really matter as long as they're asking for a righteous return.

It's worth mentioning, however, that in true Jon Heyman form, this phrase leads off his second paragraph:

But while nothing appears imminent, or even necessarily on the front burner...

Well OK then. Glad we had this talk.

Of the other teams still reportedly interested in Hamels (Heyman lists them as the Cardinals, Red Sox, and Cubs), I'm not sure where the Padres. If Hamels wants to go to a contender, then I'm not sure San Diego is the place to go (though the Padres are giving it the old college try, that's for sure). But if Hamels wants to go to a team in a city that he's actually from, then San Diego is it. Of course at the bottom of my personal Hamels trade preference list is the Cardinals, because oh god no, never never never should he go there, please god no. I couldn't take that.

There's still a lot more offseason to go. We'll keep you posted as Death March to a Hamels-Free Phillies continues.