Hamels expressed his displeasure at the six-man starting rotation being considered by the Rangers, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. "I know that's the new analytical side of trying to reinvent the wheel, but I was brought up in the minor leagues on a five-man [rotation], and that's what I'm designed and conditioned for," Hamels said after logging 2.1 innings in his Cactus League debut Saturday.
The moment you hear about a six-man rotation, the first thought racing through a fantasy owner's mind is fewer starts. To be fair, the Rangers are merely considering it, but haven't made a final decision. If they do go to six starters, it's quite possible that they wouldn't use six starters every turn of the rotation, and they would likely keep Hamels, the staff ace, on a comfortable five-day schedule. Hamels has been a workhorse throughout his career, throwing more than 200 innings in seven straight seasons before an oblique injury limited him to 148 in 2017.