nd their players have all grown into their own. NRG, on the other hand, was almost sloppier than last time, with players ju

CHICAGO -- Just days after winning the World Series, the Chicago Cubs said goodbye to a key regular season component when they declined the $12 million option on starting pitcher Jason Hammel?for 2017, the team announced Sunday.I want to thank Jason for all of his contributions in his almost three seasons as a Cub, team President Theo Epstein said in a press release Sunday. He was an effective, reliable starter the entire time he was a Cub, and this year he was an integral part of one of the best rotations in club history. We would not have been in a position to win the World Series without Jasons terrific performance during the regular season.A source familiar with the situation told ESPN.com that the team gave Hammel the option to decide if he wanted to return in 2017 or test free agency in a very attractive market for starting pitchers.?When we agreed with Jason on this two-year contract back at the 2014 winter meetings, the option was included with the intent that it would be exercised if Jason was going to be a Cub in 2017, Epstein said. The intent was never to exercise the option and then trade Jason, so we will not consider that path. Instead, Jason will have the opportunity to enter free agency coming off an outstanding season and the ability to choose his next club. Meanwhile, the organization gains some flexibility and the opportunity to use a rotation spot to develop a younger, long-term starting pitcher.Hammel, 33, went 15-10 with a 3.83 ERA in 2016, but was left off the playoff roster after a bit of a second-half fade partly due to an elbow issue. He went 1-3 in September and October with an 8.71 ERA. But he helped the Cubs get off to a fast start, going 6-1 in April and May, including a 0.75 ERA in the first month of the season.While Jason is healthy and primed to have another effective season in 2017, we have decided to consider other internal and external options for our starting rotation next year, Epstein said. Our hope is that by giving a starting opportunity to some younger pitchers under multiple years of club control, we can unearth a starter who will help us not only in 2017 but also in 2018 and beyond.Lefty Mike Montgomery is most likely to benefit from the move as he came on strong after the Cubs acquired him in a midseason deal with the Seattle Mariners. Montgomery appeared in 17 regular-season games and 11 postseason contests, starting five games overall. He earned his first career save in Game 7 of the World Series, but from day one the Cubs have discussed using him as a starter in the future. Manager Joe Maddon has raved about Montgomerys stuff, especially a nasty curveball which is effective against both righties and lefties.Hammel was re-signed by the Cubs before the 2015 season after they traded him in 2014 as part of the deal that brought shortstop Addison Russell to the Cubs from the Oakland Athletics. Hammel will get a buyout of $2 million and can sign with any team beginning at 12:01 am Tuesday morning.Max Muncy Youth Jersey . The judges scored it 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 for Jones (19-1). It was the champions closest call. Despite the loss, it was a remarkable show by the confident Swedish challenger, who had the best of the early rounds and then hung on in the fourth and fifth. Julio Urias Youth Jersey . Varlamov made 33 saves and Ryan OReilly had a goal and scored in the shootout as the Avalanche beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Thursday night. http://www.ladodgersprostore.us/Mike-Piazza-dodgers-jersey/ .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Chris Taylor Womens Jersey . -- Playing time has been limited for Maxim Tissot this season, so the Montreal Impact defender made the most of his first scoring opportunity on Saturday. Babe Herman Jersey .C. -- Chris Thorburn thinks one of the reasons the Winnipeg Jets have been successful under new coach Paul Maurice is that theyre playing together as a team.This weeks games of OGNs Overwatch APEX league will round up the group stages, determining who moves into the Round of 8 for the bracket stage. Leading things off would be South Korean team Flash Lux against Europes Rogue. Flash Lux hasnt played a game in APEX since the very first day, so the match would serve as an evaluation of how much theyve practiced in the five weeks prior to this match, but the results were unsurprisingly lopsided. Going against one of the best teams in the world, not a single person should be surprised at their incredibly fast 0-3 loss to the veteran European players.American team NRG eSports would be seeking redemption for their 0-3 loss last week as they face off against South Koreas BK Stars, who are on the rise. Since BK Stars debut, theyve only continued to solidify their teamwork, and their players have all grown into their own. NRG, on the other hand, was almost sloppier than last time, with players just not performing well or making very silly mistakes.True, theyre sstill coming off of jetlag (with two new members), and facing off against two teams that were already on the rise, so fans shouldnt despair just yet.dddddddddddd However, the results of todays match knocks them out of APEX, as BK Stars 3-0 NRG through phenomenal teamwork and individual plays.Chae Bunny Joon Hyuk on his signature Tracer play shut down a possible comeback from NRG on Nepal with a well placed Pulse Bomb, while Kim Alarm Kyung Ho hid in the corner as Reinhardt on Nepal: Village and waited for NRG to come out before sneaking up behind them for a six man Earthshatter. This was not the first time NRG has fallen prey to this, as they have yet to learn the simple lesson of checking around the corners. BK Stars will advance to the bracket stage and the Round of 8, as NRG take this time to properly build their team to be stronger than before with their new members. ' ' '