Baltimore Orioles: 3 predictions leading up to Opening Day
2. Jason Hammel returns to the Baltimore Orioles
Starting pitcher Jason Hammel‘s first stint in Baltimore transpired after the 2011 season when the Orioles sent Jeremy Guthrie to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for the right-handed Hammel.
The 34-year old spent the 2012 and 2013 seasons with the Orioles showing flashes of staff ace potential, especially in his first season with the Orioles where he started the season 8-2 with an ERA of 2.61 in 14 starts. His commanding start came to an immediate halt following a right knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery and never could get back to his early season form.
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Since his departure from the Orioles, Hammel has pitched effectively for the defending World Series champions Chicago Cubs. The past two seasons, Hammel has gone a combined 25-17 as a vital part of the Cubs starting rotation.
However, after an outstanding August where he went 4-2 with an ERA of 2.84 in six starts, Hammel began to experience discomfort in his elbow that prompted a frustrating September, going 1-3 with a lofty 8.71 ERA in four starts. As a result, Hammel was inactive throughout the Cubs’ World Series run and ultimately the Cubs elected to decline Hammel’s $12 million option for 2017 according to ESPNChicago.com’s Jesse Rogers.
Dan Duquette’s cousin, Jim Duquette, revealed in an interview on the MLB Network Radio that the Orioles want to add a veteran pitcher. Duquette also voiced his respect for Hammel when he was a member of the Orioles in 2012 and 2013.
DD- "we'd like to add another veteran pitcher". And on Jason Hammel "we like him, especially the way he pitched for us" he did not rule
— Jim Duquette (@Jim_Duquette) January 8, 2017
A Jason Hammel and Baltimore Orioles reunion makes plenty of sense, especially after the O’s traded one of their starting pitchers, Yovani Gallardo to the Mariners for outfielder Seth Smith. The Orioles can’t rely on an erratic Ubaldo Jimenez for an entire season nor can they depend on southpaw Wade Miley who went 2-5 with a 6.17 ERA in 11 starts with the Orioles last season.