PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The Philadelphia Phillies have signed pitcher Cole Hamels to a six- year, $ 144 million contract extension.

The deal takes Hamels through the 2018 season and includes a club/ vesting option for 2019 with a limited no-trade clause. It’s the second-largest contract for a pitcher, behind only the $161 million pact for the Yankees’ CC Sabathia.

Hamels has spent his entire seven- year career with the Phillies and this season owns a record of 11-4 with a 3.23 earned run average in 19 starts. He is 85-58 with a 3.38 ERA in 200 career games, all but one as a starter.

The 28-year-old lefty was the NLCS and World Series MVP in 2008, then signed a three- year, $ 20.5 million contract to avoid arbitration the following January. He signed a one-year deal this past January and was set to become a free agent after this season.

“This is what I know. This is where I wanted to be,” said Hamels during a news conference Wednesday.

There was speculation that Hamels would have been dealt by next week’s trade deadline if a new agreement was not reached.

“That was a possibility,” said Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro on Wednesday, “but the goal never really changed. Ultimately, we decided the best way to improve is to keep what we have and try to move forward from there. Was (a trade) a possbility? Sure, but our goal was to keep Cole and continue from there.”

The new deal also gives the Phillies three pitchers with hefty contracts, as Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee are also signed to long- term, multi-million dollar deals.

“Our goal remains the same, to try to put pieces around these core players to remain a championshipcaliber club,” Amaro added.

Hamels, selected with the 17th overall pick of the 2002 draft, is a three-time All-Star and is the club’s all- time leader in postseason wins with seven.