Jason Hammel (SP, CHC) - 2015 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper

BALLER MOVE: Draft Target Late in All Leagues

ANALYSIS: As you probably remember, Jason Hammel was part of the blockbuster deal that sent him and Jeff Samardzija to the Oakland A’s last year. Well, the Chicago Cubs went out and signed Hammel again this offseason. Are they seeing something we’re not? Well, Hammel did pitch very well in 17 games with Chicago prior to being traded, carrying a 2.98 ERA with eight wins and 104 strikeouts. This type of fantasy production, compared to a current ADP of around 357, puts him in a position to return a huge fantasy profit on his undervalued draft day price.

After the early July trade, he finished with a 4.26 ERA, two wins, and 54 strikeouts in five less games with Oakland. But there has to be a reason that the Cubs went out and signed Hammel again. His first spring training start of 2015 didn’t go so well. He gave up a few of hits and a homer in two innings. However, his second start on Sunday was fantastic. Hammel threw five scoreless innings, giving up only three hits and collecting nine strikeouts. If he can manage to be the 2014 pitcher he was in Chicago for a full year, he’s well worth a late flier to fill the bottom of your fantasy baseball pitching staff.