According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the Toronto Blue Jays have inquired about Cole Hamels and Shane Victorino. However; he qualified the news with the following:
No trade is close. No trade is even likely. And context is important:
- Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos routinely inquires on star players, just as he did last offseason when he talked to the Seattle Mariners about right-handers Felix Hernandez and Michael Pineda.
- The Phillies are not going to quit on the season easily, not when they already have sold more than 3 million tickets and assembled a $175 million payroll, second only to the New York Yankees.
- The Phillies can't give up on the season easily, not until they get a better sense of how second baseman Chase Utley (knee) and first baseman Ryan Howard (Achilles) will contribute when healthy.
The Jays are loaded with prospects, so they make an potentially interesting trade partner for the Phillies – if they choose to be sellers at this year's deadline.
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