Kansas City Royals Free Agents Hammel, Davidson Reach Deals With Rangers
ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Free agent right-handed pitcher with the Kansas City Royals, Jason Hammel, and infielder Matt Davidson agreed to minor league deals with the Texas Rangers.
Hammel, 36, joined the Rangers Friday, three months after the Royals declined a $12 million mutual option and instead paid a $2 million buyout.
The pitcher was 4-14 with a 6.02 ERA in 18 starts and 21 relief appearances for the Royals. He was dropped from the rotation in early July after dropped six starts in a row, and set a career high for losses.
Hammel is 96-114 with a 4.62 ERA while starting 298 of his 377 games over 13 big league seasons for six teams. He was 15-10 in 2016 for the World Series champion Chicago Cubs, but went 12-27 the past two years with the Royals.
Davidson batted .228 with 20 home runs and 62 RBIs for the Chicago White Sox. He hit three home runs on opening day at Kansas City.
Davidson, 27, hit 26 home runs in 2017. He split his time between third base, first base and designated hitter.
He also pitched three times for the White Sox last season, throwing three scoreless innings.
If Hammel is added to the 40-man roster by the Rangers, he'd get a one-year contract with a $1.5 million salary in the major leagues and the chance to earn performance bonuses.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
