the situations are very different. When the Jays picked up Cone they were 2.5 games up with 44 games left to play, and had sold out there stadium for 3 straight years.
My point about the buzz was that Hamels creates a buzz for the fans, and even if they don't make the playoffs it gives fans reason to buy tickets (and you can market him next off season too). Leake, Fiers, and to a lesser extent Cueto don't do that.