<table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td width=5> </td><td align=center><img id="story-photo" width="478" src=http://images.cubshq.com/stories/16/baseball/hammel_Geoff_Burke.jpg><br><font size=2></font></td></tr></table><table width="100%" cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td><a target=_blank href=/story/baseball/Cubs-decline-2017-contract-option-Hammel-13900 class="newstitle"><font style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Helv, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; color: #D12325; text-decoration: none">Cubs decline 2017 contract option for Hammel</font></a><br><br><font class=newsbody>The Chicago Cubs today announced that the club has declined the 2017 option on Jason Hammel’s contract.</font> <a target=_blank href=/story/baseball/Cubs-decline-2017-contract-option-Hammel-13900><font class=fullstory><b>Full Story »</b></font></a></td></tr></table>