Cubs: How much did Cole Hamels' no-hitter boost his trade value?

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Cole Hamels was already one of the top arms available at Major League Baseball's trade deadline. 

Now with a no-hitter on his resume, the veteran lefty could be the No. 1 target for contenders over this next week.

Hamels obliterated the Cubs on Saturday at Wrigley Field, striking out 13 while etching his name in baseball history. How's that for jumpstarting a slow-developing trade market for Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr.?

"I'd be surprised if Ruben's phone isn't off the hook right now," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.

Teams interested in trading for Hamels had to be scared as they saw his pitch count climb to 129, but they also undoubtedly got even more excited after Hamels flashed his tantalizing potential in a record-setting performance. Especially after the 31-year-old lefty gave up 14 earned runs over his last two starts before Saturday.

[MORE: 'Man on a mission' Cole Hamels makes no-hitter history against Cubs]

"Obviously this is the confident me and this is the me that goes out and pitches," Hamels said, admitting he didn't have that same mindset the last two times out. "Once you're able to correct it and gain the confidence that you had, you can go out there and be yourself."

Hamels has spent his whole career with the Phillies ever since they made him the 17th pick in the 2002 Draft. 

With the team in last place and his trade value about as high as it would ever get, Hamels allowed himself to admit that this isn't how he envisioned going out as a Phillie if this was, indeed, his last start for the organization.

Hamels admitted that the baseball landscape has changed and players spending their entire careers with one team like Derek Jeter (Yankees) or Chipper Jones (Braves) or Tony Gwynn (Padres) is becoming more and more rare.

"It just doesn't happen anymore," Hamels said. "You just have to play and be happy with who you are and where you're at and that's kind of what I'm doing. 

"I'm trying to live in the moment and I've been enjoying every moment that I have. That's kind of the gameplan that we have to take and stick to."

The Cubs are an up-and-coming team comprised of young, inexperienced players, so Theo Epstein's front office isn't in any sort of "all-in" buy mode at this trade deadline. Rental players like David Price are not as enticing to the Cubs as a guy like Hamels, who is under team control through the 2019 season.

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Was it a weird twist of fate that what may be Hamels' last start with the Phillies came in the form of a no-hitter at Wrigley Field against the Cubs?

"There's great history in this ballpark and it's a great place to come and play," Hamels said. "It's something that I grew up watching on WGN when I was a kid.

"So being able to play the game and just knowing that I'm able to go out there and enjoy it and be myself, it's just a special moment."

With less than a week until the trade deadline, talks are certain to heat up revolving around Hamels. Could he see himself pitching for the Cubs?

"That's kind of tough to really answer because right now, I'm wearing Phillies red and that's where I plan to play," he said. "I think that's all I can really do. It's out of my control.

"I try to wake up everyday and drive to Citizen's Bank Park and play with the big 'P' on my chest. That's kind of what I've done since the moment I got drafted by them and that's what I'm going to continue to do until somebody says no."

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