David Murphy of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Phillies GM Pat Gillick is still hesitant about giving ace Cole Hamels a contract extension in the near future, even in light of the recent deals for Scott Kazmir and Ryan Braun.

Gillick sounds like he is certainly open to the idea of an extension for Hamels, but remains reluctant.  He tells Murphy, “If at some point, if [Hamels is] performing to the level, you’re going to have to talk multiyear at some point.  These guys, maybe they are smarter giving guys 8-year deals. I don’t know.”

The Phillies are not opposed to multi-year contracts for youngsters, as the contracts given to Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley suggest.  But perhaps they view Cole Hamels slightly different.  A month ago, Jayson Stark pondererd out loud that the Phillies “might have doubts about his long-term durability.”   Perhaps Gillick and company are taking a “wait and see” approach so that if Mr. Hamels does eventually have to pay a vist to someone like noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews after logging another couple hundred innings, the Phillies can take pride in the fact they were not fleeced into a lucrative contract.

Filed under: Philadelphia Phillies