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Rangers P Hammel announces retirement

Mar 10, 2019; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jason Hammel (white shirt) walks to the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Rangers pitcher Jason Hammel has announced his retirement after 13 big-league seasons. Hammel, 36, decided to walk away despite learning one day earlier that he had made the Rangers' 25-man roster. Right-hander Jeanmar Gomez will replace him on the active roster, according to The Athletic. "He just felt like spending time with his family was more important," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said in comments published by the Dallas Morning News. "There are no hard feelings." Hammel posted a 96-114 record with a 4.62 ERA in 377 games (298 starts). He played for a half-dozen teams -- the Tampa Bay Rays, Colorado Rockies, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics and Kansas City Royals -- before signing with the Rangers on a minor-league deal this spring. In 2016, Hammel won a career-high 15 games for the Cubs, who went on to win the World Series. The 31-year-old Gomez provides the Rangers with additional help out of the bullpen. He has gone 27-30 with a 4.40 ERA in 299 games (46 starts) over nine seasons. He has 40 career saves, 37 of which he recorded in 2016 with the Philadelphia Phillies. --Field Level Media