Yankees Show Interest in Jason Hammel

The New York Yankees need pitching, this much we know, and with free agency now in full swing the team and their GM Brian Cashman have already begun kicking tires and beginning conversations with a few key arms that are available this winter. One such arm the Yankees have shown early interest in is former Chicago Cubs right-hander and 15-game winner in 2016, Jason Hammel. Hammel had a $12 million option declined by the Cubs this offseason after missing the entire postseason with an arm injury and now the right-hander will spend the winter looking for a job in a very thin class for free agent starting pitchers. Will the Yankees swoop in and grab him up?

To be honest I think they won’t and here’s why. Any good GM touches base with or at least contacts about every major free agent on the market. Some players you have serious interest in, others you don’t. Every GM should be doing their due diligence though and I truly believe that’s all this is with Hammel and the Yankees. That’s not meant to be a dig or a slap in the face to Hammel but the last thing the Yankees need is another injury-riddled pitcher and question mark in their rotation, especially after the debacle that was the 2016 season.

Hammel finished the 2016 season with a 15-10 record and a 3.83 ERA giving him his third straight season with double-digit victories and an ERA under 4.00 but the fact that the 34-year old missed the entire postseason with an injury is probably enough to keep a lot of teams away. There is a lot to like about Hammel and what he brings to the table but there are some teams who can afford to take the risk here and other teams who can’t and the Yankees are definitely the latter and not the former.