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Finding a match: 5 teams that should sign Hammel

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Pitchers and catchers are set to report soon, but as it stands, Jason Hammel isn't reporting anywhere.

The former Chicago Cubs right-hander was granted his free agency by the club shortly after winning the World Series. Now, on the cusp of spring training, he's still without a job.

Over 11 seasons, he's never been an All-Star, and he's never been spectacular. But he's likely to reach the 170-inning mark, he won't surrender a lot of walks, and he'll be a clubhouse leader with experience to share.

Here's a look at five teams that should sign Hammel:

Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles are in tough in a stacked American League East, and some with an offensive-heavy team, there needs to be some kick-back on the mound to help limit opposing damage. Hammel spent the 2012-13 seasons with the Orioles, so he's familiar with manager Buck Showalter. Over that span, he went 15-14 with a 4.27 ERA and logged more than 257 innings.

Los Angeles Angels

It would be a shame to see Hammel end up on a team that has remotely no chance of making the postseason. The Los Angeles Angels' pitching staff was among the worst in the American League last season, and to put things in perspective, their best pitcher was Jered Weaver. The Angels could, realistically, be the only team where Hammel could slot in as the ace of the staff.

Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals were struck by tragedy when young right-hander Yordano Ventura was killed in a car crash in the Dominican Republic. As expected, the team, the city, and all of baseball is still in mourning, but beyond that, the team expects to play the 2017 campaign in his honor. The Royals would benefit in having a pitcher like Hammel on the staff. The veteran could slot in with Danny Duffy, Ian Kennedy, Nate Karns, and Jason Vargas to make a solid rotation, assuming they stay healthy.

New York Yankees

Offensively, there's a chance the New York Yankees will keep up with the best of them. But from a pitching standpoint, the rotation is well below average, and some would even say it's shaky, at best. Aside from Masahiro Tanaka, no one on the staff won more than 10 games for the Yankees last season. Not only that, but it's difficult to compete when your No. 2 and No. 3 pitchers (CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda) combined for 24 losses between them. The only knock on Hammel would be that he gives up his fair share of homers, which could hurt him in New York.

Pittsburgh Pirates

If everything goes their way, the Pittsburgh Pirates could have a legit rotation. Anchored by Gerrit Cole, Jameson Taillon and Ivan Nova can prove to be solid arms as well. Mix in Hammel to work with youngsters Chad Kuhl and Tyler Glasnow, and all of a sudden the Pirates have the perfect combination of talent and experience. In 2016, the Pirates under performed, but this is a good team that didn't play well. Hammel knows a thing or two about winning, and could be a subtle key to victory.

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