we were left unfulfilled with the public explanations for their departures. So conspiracy theo

The Chicago Cubs have reportedly reached a deal with free agent pitcher Jason Hammel, according to Jon Morosi. The two-year deal is worth $18 million with a club option for 2017. There is a $2 million buyout if the option is not picked up. Hammel had signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Cubs last off-season but was traded at the deadline to the Oakland Athletics in the Jeff Samardzija deal. The right-hander struggled in Oakland, going 2-6 with a 4.26 ERA. In 17 starts with Chicago, Hammel went 8-5 with a 2.98 ERA. The 32-year-old has a career record of 59-70 with a 4.60 ERA. He has previously played for Tampa Bay, Colorado, Baltimore along with his time in Chicago and Oakland. Custom Wales Jerseys .1 Sam Stosur will meet Germanys second-ranked player Andrea Petkovic in the opening match of the Fed Cup World Group semifinal. Aaron Ramsey Jersey .C., won gold in the womens 200-metre backstroke, and Dominique Bouchard of North Bay, Ont. http://www.soccerwalesshop.com/. If Vettel wins at Suzuka on Sunday, and his nearest rival Fernando Alonso finishes worse than eighth, the German driver will join his compatriot Michael Schumacher and Argentine Juan-Manuel Fangio as the only men to win four consecutive titles. Blank Jersey . A Swiss Federal Tribunal ruling published Friday said that FIFAs disputes panel and the Court of Arbitration for Sport correctly imposed the sanction for Nantes enticing Guinea forward Ismael Bangoura to break his contract with Dubai club Al Nasr in January 2012. Joe Allen Jersey . -- Cordell Cato scored his first goal of the season and the San Jose Earthquakes survived a full half playing a man down to beat FC Dallas 2-1 Saturday night.In some ways, it feels like the Ottawa Senators have cornered the market on messy departures. Or at least the awkward ones. First there was Alexei Yashin sulking his way out of town in the summer of 2001. Then just prior to the start of the 2005-06 season, Marian Hossa signed a contract extension with the team - only to be dealt hours later to the Atlanta Thrashers (In hindsight, perhaps Hossa should have been suspicious of John Mucklers evil laugh as his pen hit the paper). The next summer, Zdeno Chara up and left as a free agent, not leaving an ounce of return for his massive 6-foot-9 frame. There was also the buyout of Ray Emery just 12 months after he backstopped the club to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in modern franchise history. Dany Heatleys departure the following summer was easily the most contentious and controversial in franchise history. But that exit may have been trumped when Daniel Alfredsson abruptly left town in the summer of 2013 after contract talks reached a stalemate. So, all of this brings us to Jason Spezzas decision to ask for a trade last spring. On the surface, its easy to lump Spezza in with some of the other controversial exits from this city. After all, he was the captain of the team for less than a calendar year when he asked Bryan Murray to be traded to another organization. However, with Spezza returning to Ottawa tonight, there isnt that sense of pent-up frustration and anger from the fan base that we saw when Heatley came back to town. Or even the swirling mixed emotions when Alfredsson rolled back in wearing a Red Wings jersey for the first time. Those departures were sudden and shocking - like a cold slap in the face. But with Spezza, we could all see the writing on the wall for months - if not years. And so, were all sort of looking at each other with the same question: Whats the reception going to be for Spezza tonight? The reason why there might be an emotional disconnect is that the Spezza departure actually felt like a mutual decision. As Gwyneth Paltrow might say, there was a conscious uncoupling between the two parties. Even Spezzas most faithful supporters would agree that it was probably best for both parties for him to move on. He spent more than a decade with this organization and as he pointed out to us Wednesday, when you are the No. 1 centre on a team for that long and you dont win a Stanley Cup, there are going to be questions. In the case of his other linemates - Heatley and Alfredsson - we were left unfulfilled with the public explanations for their departures. So conspiracy theories started to pop up at every corner. Most of these were so ridiculous that they could not be published on a reputable website, but in the absence of a definitive explanation, these rumours ruled the day. Thankfully, we were spared that same script of gossip and innuendo with Spezza because his reasons for wanting to leave town actuually seemed believable.dddddddddddd And it also felt like it was in the clubs best interests to move on from him as well. There will be some people who boo Jason Spezza tonight because they felt like he turned his back on the organization and the city while he was the captain of the team. But as Spezza explained to me Wednesday, he understood that asking for a trade while wearing the captains C was going to create a stir. Its something I took very seriously, being the captain - especially on a Canadian team and somewhere I had been for a long time. So I was disappointed with how my one year as captain went, but thats hockey and you learn from it. I didnt just wake up one day and decided I wanted to ask for a trade. It was something I felt was necessary to move on in my career and kind of start another chapter. It definitely wasnt an easy decision, Spezza said. Perhaps the easier decision for Spezza would have been to keep his mouth shut and stay in Ottawa until his contract ran out at the end of this 2014-15 season. But then he would have been painted as the villain who left town and gave his organization nothing in return for him. At least by taking this route, Spezza allowed the organization to get a pair of prospects including one - Nick Paul - who projects out to be an NHL player in the future and a second-round draft pick. That return is certainly better than the alternative of Spezza simply walking away as a free agent this summer. And Spezza is also well aware of the narrative going around that he couldnt stand the heat of playing in a Canadian market. He shrugged off that suggestion Wednesday, saying that he never felt like the constant media scrutiny was the catalyst for his decision to leave town. Everybody is going to have their opinion and spin it however they want. But everybody who knows me and has been around me knows thats not why I asked to be moved, Spezza said. I think too much gets made that I just wanted to get out of the spotlight because my whole life Ive been in it. But I just felt it was necessary to move on to another organization and try things a different way. My goal is to win the Cup and I have to try it a different way. People will perceive it however they want, but I dont think Ive ever been afraid to stand in front of a microphone and be accountable for my play. Spezza told me that hes going to miss skating on the canal here in Ottawa, something he made sure he did with his family each winter. On Wednesday, he was planning to drop by his favourite Italian restaurant - Capones - for a bite to eat. And he even went to his old barber downtown for a familiar haircut. In coming back to Ottawa, Jason Spezza didnt need to slink around town with his hat pulled down low. This wasnt a messy breakup or a divorce that has cast one side as the bad guy. Instead, this was a mutual decision to leave and by all accounts, both sides are happy. 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