SURPRISE, Ariz. – The Rangers advised veteran reliever Jason Hammel on Friday that he had made the roster.
Plot twist: On Saturday, Hammel decided to retire.
Of course, there is a joke or three to be made about pitchers deciding to quit rather than pitch for the Rangers, but that is hardly the case. Hammel, 36, came to camp on a non-roster invite and had been pretty honest about his situation. If he didn’t make the major league roster, he would retire rather than pitch at Triple-A. He never indicated he was above the minors, but rather had expressed reticence about being away from his family and two daughters. Apparently, that pull was too strong to overcome extending his career.
“He just felt like spending time with his family was more important,” general manager Jon Daniels said. “There are no hard feelings.”
Hammel, who lives in Chicago, had spent the first half of 2014 and the 2015-16 seasons with the Cubs, giving him the ability to live at home year-round. He spent the last two seasons away from his family, in Kansas City. It’s unlikely that caused the significant drop-off in his performance that ensued, but in talking to Hammel this spring, it was clear that his family was a big consideration.
The bullpen remains something of a work in progress less than a week before the season starts. The Rangers on Saturday informed right-hander Jeanmar Gomez that he had made the team. It gives them six relievers locked into spots: Closer Jose Leclerc, Chris Martin, Shawn Kelley, Jesse Chavez, Jeffrey Springs and Gomez.
Providing Joey Gallo doesn’t have any further setbacks in his return from a groin issue, the Rangers will pick two relievers from the quartet of Zach McAllister (who is on the 40-man roster, but has a non-guaranteed contract), Connor Sadzeck (who is out of options), Adrian Sampson and Kyle Bird.
The roster makeup could, in part, be impacted by what the Rangers find available to give them starting depth at Triple-A from among the likely releases of non-roster veterans over the next few days. If they do find a free agent or two to supplement the Nashville roster, it might make it easier to carry Sampson as a long-reliever in the majors rather than have work as a starter in the minors.
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