The Philadelphia Phillies are worrying about everything but their pitching right now. Yet if contract negotiations for Cole Hamels stall for a few more months, Phillies fans like myself might get more worried about Hamels’ status beyond 2012. What’s more, the San Francisco Giants have set the bar even higher for Philadelphia’s ace by resigning one of theirs.

Matt Cain tormented the Phillies by outdueling Hamels in Game 3 of the 2010 NLCS. Like Hamels, he has a World Series ring and is part of a superstar rotation, but was approaching the last year of his old contract. As such, if the Giants could finally give Cain a five-year, $112.5 extension on April 2, how much more do the Phillies owe Hamels?

San Francisco gave Cain the biggest contract for a right-hander in baseball history, which ensures that he is secure for 2012 and well beyond. In addition, since he is already making $15 million for 2012, Cain is projected to make as much as $127.5 million from now until 2017, with a $21 million option for 2018.

And yet Philadelphia still hasn’t locked up Hamels, who has done even more for the Phillies over the years and also has a ring for his trouble. At the least, he has to figure he is worth more than $127.5 million at the bare minimum.

Hamels is also even more important to the Phillies than Cain is to the Giants. While Philadelphia still has Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, they are approaching their mid 30′s – much like the Phillies as a whole. Meanwhile, Cain, Tim Lincecum and Madison Bumgarner are all in their mid to late 20′s, so the Giants’ pitching core has more longevity.

San Francisco wouldn’t have collapsed as much without Cain in the long term as Philadelphia might without Hamels, yet the Giants locked Cain down early anyway. But on the opposite end, the Phillies are still stalling with Hamels despite the greater long term importance of keeping him around. And now that a deal is unlikely before Opening Day, Philadelphia has to worry if this situation will affect Hamels on the mound.

The Giants don’t have that problem with Cain anymore, although his historic extension could put more pressure on him anyway. Yet that is nothing compared to the extra pressure he and the Giants put on Hamels and the Phillies. It is bad enough that San Francisco robbed Philadelphia of the 2010 pennant, but they have given us one more added concern before the quest for the 2012 pennant starts.

Now that Cain has set a high bar – whether it was too high or not – Hamels has every right to ask for even more. Will that set negotiations back even more, or be the kick in the pants that the Phillies need to wrap this up soon? They didn’t act as quick as the Giants did, but maybe it is time for them to act even smarter while they can.

Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident who has followed the Phillies since he was eight years old.

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