It's official: The Phillies have traded Cole Hamels and Jake Diekman to the Texas Rangers for six players.
Word of the trade initially came out late Wednesday night, but a deal involving so many players and so much money changing hands is complex in nature and took time to finalize.
Hamels will speak at a press conference at Citizens Bank Park at 2 p.m. Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. will speak at 1:30 p.m.
The southpaw will start for the Rangers Saturday in Texas against the Giants.
The Phillies receive catcher Jorge Alfaro, outfielder Nick Williams, right-handed pitchers Jake Thompson, Alec Asher and Jerad Eickhoff, and veteran lefty Matt Harrison.
Harrison the only one with big-league experience. Asher and Eickhoff had been pitching at Triple A. Williams and Thompson were at Double A in the Rangers' system. Alfaro had also been at Double A before suffering an ankle injury that required surgery. According to CSN Phillies insider Jim Salisbury, Alfaro could play again this season.
