The Chicago Cubs need to bolster their starting rotation, that's no secret. That's why they're going hard after Jon Lester and why they're reportedly close to bringing back a guy they traded away last July.
Jason Hammel, who was sent to Oakland with Jeff Samardzija in the Fourth of July blockbuster, will be back in a Cubs uniform in 2015, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. No particulars are known on the deal yet, but Hammel was supposedly seeking a three-year contract. He made $6 million in 2014.
Hammel, 32, finished the season with a record of 10-11 and a 3.47 ERA. He definitely was better with the Cubs than with the A's —*he posted a 2.98 ERA in Chicago compared to a 4.26 ERA in Oakland. For his career, he has a 4.60 ERA, so what we saw in Oakland is likely more of the real Hammel.
He's definitely not the Cubs' end-all, as they need to sign one of the front-end starters on the free-agent market, whether it be Lester, Max Scherzer or James Shields. Hammel was the ninth-best starting pitcher*on Jeff Passan's Ultimate Free-Agent Tracker, ranking No. 26 overall.
In the best-case scenario for the Cubs, Hammel is no higher than their No. 4 starter behind Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks and another, better free agent they add to the mix.
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Mike Oz is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz