Cole Hamels and the Phillies have agreed to a 3 yr., $20.5 million contract, which wipes out the next 3 years of Hamels’ arbitration years. He will still be eligible for arbitration in 2012 as a result of being a “Super 2″.

On its face, the deal seems like a great idea, and the Phillies got Hamels for the next 3 years for nothing compared to what they are paying underachievers like Adam Eaton and Geoff Jenkins. Hamels could have potentially made more during arbitration hearings, but luckily, we’ll never know. One of the real positives of this deal is the Phillies ability to avoid hearings that could create ill-will between the parties. We know how Cole took to what he perceived as a low salary in 2008 when he was not arb eligible. There is no need to make Hamels any less willing to sign with the Phillies when he is a free agent.

The contract is no indication, in and of itself, that Hamels wants to be a Phillie for the long haul. He is the Phillies property for the next 4 years unless they choose otherwise. He could either sign a contract or play it year to year. I would suspect that his main motivation for signing this deal was to guarantee himself a nice payload over the next 3 years while guarding against an injury during an arbitration year that could kill his earning potential just as it was revving up.

If you are looking for good signs about Cole’s long term desires, consider his statements after the World Series win when he expressed a desire to win the World Series in Philadelphia “again and again and again”. He was one of the more visibly awe-inspired players in terms of the reaction from the fans to the World Series win. I’m sure it’s a change of pace for guys from Southern California to see how hard scrabbled fans from the East react to a championship, especially in a city where it happens so infrequently.

Apparently, the good feelings haven’t subsided, according to an account in the Inquirer about a meet-and-greet that Hamels attended last night at Resorts Atlantic City for high rollers:

When asked by a high-roller whether the Phils’ lowballing of Hamels during the 2008 arbitration process has made him eager to leave the team when he achieves free-agent status in a few years, the NLCS and World Series MVP replied: “I’ll be here for a really long time. That’s something I really want to do.”

If you are looking for more evidence of Hamels’ long-term intentions, consider this from the Inquirer:

Hamels and his wife, Heidi Strobel, are about to settle on a three-bedroom, 31/2-bathroom condo, a 2,700-square-footer way up in Two Liberty Place.

Steve Calandrino, who handles sales for the Center City skyscraper’s residences, said the Hamelses hoped to move from their modest West Chester townhouse before spring training. Hamels also has a condo in San Diego, according to public records.

So, I think we can safely remove the doomsday scenario from our minds that Cole Hamels won’t consider signing a long-term deal with the Phillies. Winning is an intoxicating thing, and Hamels probably sees himself as the ace of a staff that could win for years. Last year’s lowball offer is water under the bridge.

Once this contract is over, the Phillies will need to do better than a 3 year offer to retain Hamels’ services. Ruben Amaro Jr. and his minions may be loath to go beyond 3 years for a pitcher, but the market dictates the terms, and premier pitchers get longer than 3 years. In some cases, twice that. The Phillies will need to let go of rigid thinking in order to keep Cole in red pinstripes for years to come. Otherwise, they are destined to have other teams’ Number 2′s as their Number 1.