Yanks Dangling Phil Hughes for hitting

[patg006]

Hey Will--

"The Yankees, desperate for offense, are talking to teams about right-handed starter Phil Hughes, sources say.

And while Hughes is 4-8 with a 4.55 ERA, he still might have some value. Hughes, who has 78 strikeouts against only 25 walks, is a free agent at year's end, and with the Yankees still hoping to get below the $189 million luxury tax threshhold for 2014, there's no belief he'll be back in pinstripes next year.

"I think he could fetch quite a bit," one rival executive said, though other opinions are mixed.

That exec further opined that Hughes could be quite effective "if you get him out of Yankee Stadium and into a pitcher's park." While the Yankees are hitting in that same park, their offense has been about the worst in baseball since the beginning of June, causing them to fall into fourth place in the tight AL East.

If the Yankees found a taker for Hughes, they could promote the rehabbed righthander Michael Pineda for the rotation.

The Angels have been interested in Hughes, an Orange County, Calif., product, in the past, though it's undetermined whether they will be a buyer or seller. Angels GM Jerry Dipoto recently was quoted saying his team is neither a buyer nor a seller at this point.

The Angels planned to draft Hughes out of a local high school before owner Arte Moreno switched at the last minute and ordered his baseball people at the time to take Long Beach State product Jered Weaver which has turned out to be a very good decision.

Ken Rosenthal of Foxsports.com mentioned Hughes as a trade possibility Wednesday. The other pitcher the Yanks would consider trading is reliever Joba Chamberlain.

"I'm sure they'd like to show him the door," one other rval exec said about the once-ballyhooed Chamberlain. "They may trade him for a pine-tar rag.""

Any thoughts? I dont like Phil Hughes, and dont think he is attractive for a team other then the reason he is 27 years old. When he is on, he dominates. When he is off, he's pulled in the middle of the 3rd inning. He's been off a lot recently, and gives up an astounding number of home runs. He is the jeckyl/hyde pitcher who has not corrected the mistakes of erratic arm movement on his fastball, surrendering home runs Marmol style.

Though I dont like it, I can easily see Soriano and cash for Hughes from Epstein.....

 

[waldo7239117]

I can't see it. The Yanks can be a fit, but if the Cubs trade Soriano and most of his contract, it'll have to be Hughes, plus. But I think Hughes will end of being a RP, so I wouldn't do it. SP for the next 2 years possibly, but then switch into the long-relief role.

 

[JosMin]

The article makes a good point in the sense that Hughes could certainly benefit from a change in scenery -- not only to a pitcher's park, but maybe the NL, too. He's not the kind of guy I'd want to give up a top tier prospect for, but if the Yankees were willing to entertain a swap for Soriano, that could potentially work. My only real fear is that it's next to impossible to gauge what kind of value Hughes would have in the open market. He's probably a #3 starter on his best day. He does have post season experience, though, and is young enough to warrant giving a 5-year deal to. What would the Cubs be comfortable with paying him?

 

[patg006]

The article makes a good point in the sense that Hughes could certainly benefit from a change in scenery -- not only to a pitcher's park, but maybe the NL, too. He's not the kind of guy I'd want to give up a top tier prospect for, but if the Yankees were willing to entertain a swap for Soriano, that could potentially work. My only real fear is that it's next to impossible to gauge what kind of value Hughes would have in the open market. He's probably a #3 starter on his best day. He does have post season experience, though, and is young enough to warrant giving a 5-year deal to. What would the Cubs be comfortable with paying him?

I can see how he is an attractive target for the rebuilding cubs, or any team. But like I said, my only positive on him is that he will be 27, considerably younger than the norm of 29-31 year old pitchers who normally hit free agency. Hughes is too Jeckyl/Hyde for me, and inconsistent with his fastball.

http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2013/6/13/4415464/phil-hughes-yankees-baseballs-own-jekyll-and-hyde

^A brilliant article about Hughes' inconsistency. When his fastball is on and his arm is true; corner painting, near unhittable fastballs. When he is off, lazy feedballs over the middle of the plate.

I dont think a 'change of scenery' fixes Hughes' problem. He needs a good pitching coach if he wants a chance, and I say chance--because he hasn't learned/figured it out yet over 6 years now......I dont like his odds. Though a counterpoint to this is Cliff Lee fixing his change up.

I wouldnt like the deal, but Yanks want hitting and Theo likes young pitchers.....

 

[DewsSox79]

id ask for CC and Cano

 

[dabynsky]

The free agent to be part is the thing that makes this really tough to place a value on. He isn't worth 13 million a year, imo, so a qualifying offer is kind of out the door. If you could get him to sign a reasonable extension a swap for Soriano would be a great return, but since it likely means paying virtually all of Sori's deal and Hughes walking out the door at the end of the year it is tougher.