Royals Add Hammel to Rotation

The Royals' newest pitcher, Jason Hammel, is good. That's the best way to put it. He's never been a star, never putting up an ERA below 3.43 (2012) or striking out more than 172 batters (2015), but he won't let you down. Everywhere the 6'6" right hander has gone, he's contributed as a mid-rotation starter, making at least 20 starts, throwing at least 118 innings, and keeping his ERA below 5.00 every season since 2009, including a three year stint in Colorado's dreaded Coors Field. Unfortunately, he's not taking over in the most "normal" of circumstances. As we have all heard by now, starter Yordano Ventura tragically passed away a few weeks ago, and speaking solely in a baseball context, that left a huge hole in the Royals' rotation, to make no mention of off the field contributions. Danny Duffy and Ian Kennedy are already well-established in that rotation, and with Hammel presumably taking the number three spot, a group of pitchers will be competing for the four and five spots. Last year was a typical Hammel season (which isn't hard to have when you're that consistent), as he went 15-10 with a 3.83 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP over 30 starts, pitching the Cubs to the World Series. For his career, the Washington State native is 84-87 with a 4.42 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP over 306 games (248 starts) since 2006. He is signed for two years and $16 million.