The Rangers announced Friday that they’ve signed veteran right-hander Jason Hammel to a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training. Hammel is represented by ACES.
Hammel wrapped up an ill-fated two-year, $16MM contract with the Royals this past season and will head to the Rangers in search of a rebound on the heels of two of his worst big league seasons. As a Royal, Hammel struggled to a 5.59 ERA in 307 1/3 innings, averaging 6.9 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 with below-average ground-ball tendencies. Fielding-independent metrics felt he was marginally better (4.44 FIP, 4.95 xFIP), but the overall results were a far cry from the strong work turned in by Hammel from 2014-16 between the Cubs and the Athletics. Over those three years, Hammel logged a 3.68 ERA with 474 strikeouts against 173 alks in 513 2/3 innings.
The addition of Hammel is the latest depth move for a Rangers organization that has prioritized stockpiling inexpensive rotation pieces for much of the offseason. As was the case last winter, Texas made a three-year signing — this year it was Lance Lynn for $30MM; last offseason it was Mike Minor for $28MM — followed by a series of smaller-scale additions. Texas has added Drew Smyly and Shelby Miller to the rotation picture, too, and selected the contract of veteran Edinson Volquez to the Major League roster. (Volquez had previously signed a two-year minor league contract as he recovered from Tommy John surgery.)
Low risk
Incredibly low reward
He was good with the Cubs, but I think his days of being a effective pitcher are over.
Agreed. I was a bit confused when the Cubs let him go but it didn’t take long to figure out why they did. They knew something me and KC didn’t.
Good move
Inning eater
I would rather have Bartolo Colon back
Based on Hammel’s numbers for allowing home runs as a Royal, I shudder to think how many homers he could give up pitching in Texas.
Now he just needs to go 18-0
to even his career record at
.500!
Typical Rangers move, picking up from the pitcher scrap heap!
If only they could be more like Toronto and send more promising/effective pitchers hurtling toward the scrap heap at a tragic rate and breakneck speed.
Jeeze it’s already been two years. Where did it go?
The Rangers will have more veteran pitching this year than any other team. And they’re all recent signings
Not that this makes them contenders
The Royals pulled him as a starter and tried him in the pen. He was awful there as well.
36 years-old and got an invite to Spring Training by a lousy team.
Sounds right.
Will soon be able to spend the rest of his life cruising off his earnings as an oppressed professional pitcher working to a 4.62 ERA.. The only “work” he’ll do is showing up at trade shows signing his name. Not bad.
After decades of focused dedication to the mastery of one craft. Good life. Make the show? Play for years and years? Our respect!!
“‘….decades of focused dedication to the mastery of one craft…..”
WOW!
Most people I know did that. I did that. Saw my 55 year-old Doctor today – he’s still doing that.
And it’s odd, we had to pay for our educations. Compete with others. And – I know this is crazy – didn’t get 3-6 months off each year. Did however get calls 24/7/365. Respect for us? Seriously?
You sound pretty angry, quit comparing professions you tool.
I didn’t even realize he still played, that’s how little I pay attention to the royals lol
Rangers planning to see if this guy has anything left in the tank, but after seeing his disastrous stint in KC I seriously doubt Hammel even has a tank at this point.
JD should sign anyone who can throw a baseball to minor league deals this spring. At least one of them will be able to find the strike zone.