Jason Hammel’s rocky stint on the Royals pitching staff has come to a close after two seasons.
The Royals declined a $12 million option on Hammel on Tuesday, instead electing to pay a $2 million buyout of his contract. Hammel will become a free agent.
Hammel, who turned 36 in September, compiled a 5.59 earned-run average in his two years in Kansas City, including a 6.02 mark in 2018 that cost him a spot in the rotation.
The Royals signed Hammel to a two-year, $16 million contract before spring training in 2017. But after a successful stint with the Chicago Cubs, Hammel’s career in Kansas City never blossomed.