I think it's going to happen even if the Phillies are above .500 at the trading deadline. It's no secret that Hamels would like to return to his home on the west coast, and apparently the Dodgers and Angels are interested. There have also been some stories that Toronto was willing to do a long term deal that would make him forget about the California sunshine. They have prospects that the Phillies liked too. St. Louis and Boston are a couple of other possibilities for him.

He's having a great year and will be a huge plus for any team. His value should command some high level prospects. The GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. has a little bit of a history of pulling off a big deal before the trading deadline gets frantic. So maybe it will happen in three weeks.