and was demoted to the bullpen. Overall, in 39 appearances with 18 starts, Hammel finished the season with a 6.02 ERA and a record of 4-14 in 127 innings. On October 30, 2018, the Royals declined his 2019 option, making him a free agent. Texas Rangers On February 1, 2019, Hammel signed a minor-league contract with the Texas Rangers. On March 22, 2019, the Texas Rangers announced that Hammel had made the opening day roster. Retirement On March 23, 2019, Hammel announced his retirement from baseball. Pitching style Hammel throws a mix of five pitches: a four-seam fastball at 92–95 mph, a two-seam fastball (his lead pitch) at the same speed, a slider in the mid 80s, a curveball in the upper 70s, and a changeup in the high 80s. He uses all of his pitches against left-handed hitters, but eliminates the changeup against right-handers. His chief off-speed pitch with 2 strikes is the slider. Prior to the 2012 season Hammel relied mostly on the four-seamer, slider, and curve. In 2012, he shifted to a sinker/slider focus, with the other pitches playing less of a role. All of his pitches except the changeup produced above-average whiff rates in 2012, leading to a career-high K/9 rate of 8.6 Personal life Hammel met Elissa Nichols in 2006 and they married in 2009. Together they have a son and a daughter. They resided in the Lake View neighborhood of Chicago but sold the home in 2021 and moved to the Northeastern United States. See also List of Colorado Rockies team records References External links 1982 births Living people Tampa Bay Devil Rays players Tampa Bay Rays players Colorado Rockies players Baltimore Orioles players Chicago Cubs players Oakland Athletics players Kansas City Royals players Treasure Valley Chukars baseball players Hudson Valley Renegades players Princeton Devil Rays players Charleston RiverDogs players Bakersfield Blaze players Montgomery Biscuits players Durham Bulls players Colorado Springs Sky Sox players Frederick Keys players Bowie Baysox players Aberdeen IronBirds players Baseball players from South Carolina Major League Baseball pitchers People from Port Orchard, Washington