By Jordan Long
The Kansas City Royals added depth to their starting rotation. They signed pitcher Jason Hammel to a two year, $16 million contract. He was a free agent after the Cubs declined a $12 million option for the upcoming season. This was a much needed move for the Royals to bolster the back end of the rotation.
Jason Hammel is an 11 year veteran pitcher. The Royals are his 5th team. Hammel has suited up for the Tampa Bay Rays, Colorado Rockies, Baltimore Orioles, Oakland Athletics, and the Chicago Cubs. His best year was last season. He had a career high 15 wins with an ERA of 3.83. That was a respectable season but the Cubs couldn’t trust him in the playoffs because of the amount of home runs he gives up. Opponents hit 25 home runs off of him. In his career Hammel is 84-87 with 1,191 strikeouts and an era of 4.42.
Hammel can help the Kansas City Royals, especially as a 4th or 5th starter in the rotation. He will strike batters out. When Hammel is on, he can pitch deep into the 6th or 7th innings. What gets him in trouble is his command. If he leaves the ball up, batters key on that and it is often a home run. The Royals may have to work with him on the location of his pitches.
This is a reasonable deal for both sides. The Royals are paying Hammel $8 million to prove he can be a starter again. If he fails to do so, at least the Royals aren’t paying him top pitching money. It will be up to Hammel to show Kansas City they can trust him to keep them in games.
What do you think of the Kansas City Royals agreeing to a contract with Jason Hammel?
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