COLE COULD BE CASH

If you had to liken one member of the Phils new Legion of Aces to Christina Aguilera, it would no doubt be Colbert Hamels. The celebrated diva has seen many highs and lows throughout his young career, from carrying the Phillies through the 2008 postseason to quitting on the team in the middle of the '09 World Series.

But could the Nerdly One be the best player in the 2011 Phillies rotation? It's not as safe a bet as "will Joe Blanton still be just as fat or even fatter by the end of the season," but the odds aren't as long as you might think.

Buried under the hoopla of the Halladay perfect game and no hitter, the trade for All-Star hoss Roy Oswalt, and the signing of our hero Cliff Lee, Hamels ended 2010 as one of the best lefties in baseball. Being surrounded by an accomplished trio of aces (and the Five of Chubs) seems to bring out the best from the once-whiny Californian, as he appears to already be in midseason form this spring. Best of all? He's just 27 years old. If he can stay healthy (and that's a times-new roman size-72 IF) the best is yet to come from Molbert. M Mammals, and the aging Phillies are surely gonna need it.