The Kansas City Royals agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal with Jason Hammel, the best free-agent starting pitcher remaining on the market, sources with knowledge of the deal told Yahoo Sports.
After the death of Yordano Ventura, Kansas City committed to finding a reliable starter and focused on Hammel, the 34-year-old who won a World Series ring with the Chicago Cubs last season. Chicago declined a $12 million option on Hammel, allowing him to hit what turned out to be a rocky market.
In a free-agent class with a paucity of starting pitching, Hammel stood out for his consistency. Over the past three seasons, he made at least 29 starts, threw at least 166 2/3 innings and finished with ERAs of 3.83 or below. He’ll slot into the Royals’ rotation behind Danny Duffy and Ian Kennedy and ahead of other rotation contenders that include Nate Karns, Jason Vargas, Chris Young and rookie Matt Strahm.
Hammel would be Kansas City’s third significant signing of the past three weeks, with Duffy locking into a five-year, $65 million extension and Brandon Moss getting $12 million for two years to DH. Kansas City is aiming to stay in contention this season after following their 2015 World Series win with an injury-plagued and disappointing 2016. A number of key players, including Eric Hosmer, Lorenzo Cain and Mike Moustakas, are slated to hit free agency after the 2017 season.
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