Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs: Is a Jason Hammel Comeback a Possibility?

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:32 p.m. ET

Fansided, Justin Koonce/FanSided via Call to the Pen

The Chicago Cubs declined Jason Hammel‘s team option for the 2017 season, but after an extended stay on the free agent market, could a return to Chicago be in the works?

The Chicago Cubs are in a good position this offseason. They retain most of their pieces from their championship run last year. The only real needs coming into this offseason were in the bullpen and center field, and the team has addressed both of those. However, they created another question mark when they declined Jason Hammel‘s option. In this year’s barren pitching market, keeping Hammel for one year at $12 million seemed perfectly logical, but Cubs executives felt differently.

Hammel has been solid for the Cubs over the last two seasons. He posted a 3.74 ERA in 31 starts in 2015 and a 3.83 ERA in 30 starts in 2016. The 34-year-old had brilliant starts but then faltered down the stretch in 2015 and 2016. He won’t be a top-flight starter anywhere, but he can provide solid value.

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Mike Montgomery is currently penciled in as the fifth starter. He has shown promise and is much younger than the veteran Hammel, but the team would benefit from keeping him in the bullpen. After removing Montgomery from the bullpen, the Cubs are left with no reliable lefties in the pen, not an ideal situation. Adding Hammel would solidify the rotation and the bullpen. He would also add much-needed depth.

Now, will we see a Hammel-Cubs reunion? Most likely not. He most likely won’t be available for much cheaper than the option the team already turned down. The Cubs believed they were best off not giving him one year and $12 million, so they clearly didn’t have a lot of faith in him. Initial reactions to this move were that Epstein had another move coming, but the team seems comfortable with Mike Montgomery pitching every fifth day.

While a reunion with the Chicago Cubs makes sense for Jason Hammel, he will most likely find a new home in 2017. The idea of returning for a shot at another title is surely enticing, but he should look elsewhere for his next contract.