Trade in future for pitching veteran Cole Hamels?

Cole Hamels is long removed from his 2006 Major League Baseball debut as a 22-year-old rookie left-hander.

The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder pitched five innings against the Reds in Cincinnati and allowed one hit with five walks and seven strikeouts that first game.

“I had family and friends there in a city I’d never even seen before,’’ Hamels recalled. “It was the first time I’d really ever pitched in poor weather. It was a constant drizzle.

“As we sat there, I just wanted the game to start. Everyone came a long way and I was hoping they wouldn’t postpone it.’’

Now 151-108 with a 3.38 ERA during his 14-year pitching career that includes more than 2,400 innings pitched with 2,324 strikeouts, the former All-CIF pitcher from Rancho Bernardo High is staring down a dilemma for the second time. He’s 34 and in the final year of his contract with the Texas Rangers, who acquired him in 2015 after 10 seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies.

With the Rangers mired in last place in the American League West, aging veterans with an expiring contract are perfect trade bait for contending teams.

Hamels went through that in Philadelphia and he could be facing it again.

“Trades are part of the game fans don’t really see,’’ Hamels said. “Every time a guy gets traded, the entire family gets traded.

“All fans see is the player on the field, but there are people involved. Fans don’t realize we’re just as normal as can be.’’

Hamels is pitching better of late and now has a 4-6 record with a respectable 3.61 ERA.

That teams could be watching him down the stretch - the Rangers have a team option for 2019 - means he’s still pitching well enough to keep going to the mound.

“I’m the veteran presence contenders are looking for down the stretch,’’ Hamels said. “You control what you can control and let the rest of it go.’’

He went to four All-Star Games with the Phillies, who drafted him in the first round in 2002. He was the MVP of the 2008 World Series, going 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA by allowing the Tampa Bay Rays just 10 hits in his 13 innings after going 14-10 during the regular season at age 24.

“That’s what you dream about in the backyard, hitting the homer to win it or getting that final strikeout,’’ Hamels said. “That moment was pure excitement and to do that at home was pure joy. I was lucky because the team was on top and I didn’t have to suffer through losing seasons before the World Series. To win a World Series for a football city turned it into a baseball city was great.’’

Hamels harkens back to his days at Rancho Bernardo.

The four years he was a Bronco, they won three straight San Diego Section Division I champions before losing the 2002 finals to Rancho Buena Vista.

“I worked my way into the rotation as a sophomore on a team that was ranked No. 1 in the nation,’’ Hamels said. “We had stars all over the place and two guys on the Junior National team.’’

When the Phillies tabbed Hamels with the 17th pick in the first round, Hamels was shocked.

“I’d been to Boston before but never to Philly,’’ he said. “It took me five years to get to know the city, but I learned a lot about East Coast life.’’

Before he came up to the Phillies, teammate Ryan Howard tagged him as “Hollywood.’’ The nickname stuck.

“Ryan Howard was from Missouri and he hadn’t seen many guys from California,’’ Hamels said with a laugh. “I walked into the locker room with T-shirts, board shorts and flip flops so I guess I looked like someone from Hollywood.’’

For now, Hamels, who said he abandoned his backup plan in case baseball didn’t work out a long time ago, has his eyes set on pitching until age 40.

“I’ve said I’ll play until my kids feel like I should be at home with them,’’ said Hamels, whose children are age 8, 6, 5 and 1½. “We’re building a family home in Dallas, but I’m still playing baseball.

“I’m still having fun and that’s all that matters to me.’’

That’s all he’s ever cared about.