When do the Twins cut bait with Phil Hughes?

[adorduan]

Topic is pretty self explanatory, make your guess.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Topic is pretty self explanatory, make your guess.

if they can 60 day DL him, wouldn’t they keep him through the duration to collect money insurance?

[Twodogs]

I havent seen any games, but has he looked crappy in ST games so far?

[jorgenswest]

When it is clear his velocity is not going to return to 92-93.

[Lee-The-Twins-Fan]

In two years, when his contract is done. They'll keep hoping - as i do - that he can return to his earlier form.

[bluechipper]

 

I havent seen any games, but has he looked crappy in ST games so far?

I'm assuming he looked pretty bad today. 4 earned in 2.1 innings, and 2 HRs.

[bluechipper]

I'm guessing he gets cut at the end of spring, and if not, the only way he makes this team is as the long reliever. I think the new regime understands sunk costs.

[jimmer]

 

In two years, when his contract is done. They'll keep hoping - as i do - that he can return to his earlier form.

His earlier form being that one outlier of a season he had in 2014?

[jimmer]

 

I'm guessing he gets cut at the end of spring, and if not, the only way he makes this team is as the long reliever. I think the new regime understands sunk costs.

If he stays with us, it NEEDS to be as a reliever.  He might be able to provided some quality an inning at a time.  He's not going to do anything but hurt us if put back into the rotation.

[prouster]

I'm assuming he looked pretty bad today. 4 earned in 2.1 innings, and 2 HRs.

I'm not saying that he looked bad or good, because I haven't seen any footage of his performance today. Generally speaking, though, I think it's ill advised to put much stock in spring training stats. He gave up a few runs, but maybe he was working on some mechanical issue or spotting his breaking ball.

 

Or maybe he just pitched badly.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

I'm not saying that he looked bad or good, because I haven't seen any footage of his performance today. Generally speaking, though, I think it's ill advised to put much stock in spring training stats. He gave up a few runs, but maybe he was working on some mechanical issue or spotting his breaking ball.

 

Or maybe he just pitched badly.

I listened, there wasn’t anything said to indicate how Hughes was doing, but Provus sounded a bit flat or something, like he could already tell it was going to end up a football score.

[yarnivek1972]

That’s probably Jim Pohlad’s call. It’s his money.

[gunnarthor]

 

That’s probably Jim Pohlad’s call. It’s his money.

Yep. My guess is they give him a few April starts and, if that doesn't work, he goes to the DL. I think he should go to the pen but I don't think he will.

[Vanimal46]

Yep. My guess is they give him a few April starts and, if that doesn't work, he goes to the DL. I think he should go to the pen but I don't think he will.

I don't even want the 2-3 April starts. His arm/body has been toast for 3 years...

[Danchat]

The Spring stats don't mean a whole lot, 'cause if Hughes should be outed because he pitched poorly today, Duffey basically had the same line (2.2 IP, 5 H; 4 ER) and we should be calling for his release too then.

 

But yeah, Hughes is most likely toast at this point. I hope the FO has the guts to sink that $27M cost when they need somebody to take his roster spot.

 

(Duffey's no lock either. He was pretty bad from 2016-17.)

[Seth Stohs]

Yeah, it should be a non-topic at this point. He's coming back from his second TOS surgery. No reason to not see where it goes. At the end of spring training, they can DL him. If needed, they can push him to the 60 Day DL... No need to cut bait until after the season at this point or when a roster spot is needed.

[Taildragger8791]

Can they 60 day D/L him if he’s technically healthy though? I assume he can fight it and force his way to free agency. But yeah, I don’t see him bouncing back from a second long shot TOS surgery. It’s too bad but the body isn’t always willing, and there’s nothing wrong with admitting that it isn’t there anymore.

[beckmt]

From what I read of the game down here (about 5 - 7) miles from the Blue Jay stadium, Wind was gale force straight from home to center.  Bad day for fly ball pitchers.  

[gocgo]

I think he makes the team as the 5th starter or a long reliever.  I've said that I don't think they need a 5th starter when they break camp.  They will need one twice in April due to days off.  They may need fewer if there are rain outs.  Remember Terry Mulholland?  Dude had rubber in the arm and not much left in the tank, but he was the crafty veteran out of the pen that we would put out there when the game was out of hand and we needed innings.  That could be Hughes roll.

[Thegrin]

One bad outing and you are talking about dumping him ?  Thats a pretty quick hook, if u ask me.  We are paying him for the next two years. How about saying that we'd like him to pitch, if at some time he appears as though he will get men out.  If not, he will have about a two-year stay on the DL.  Please don't put him on the Twins mound until he can make a good case for being able to get outs.  

[Vanimal46]

One bad outing and you are talking about dumping him ? Thats a pretty quick hook, if u ask me. We are paying him for the next two years. How about saying that we'd like him to pitch, if at some time he appears as though he will get men out. If not, he will have about a two-year stay on the DL. Please don't put him on the Twins mound until he can make a good case for being able to get outs.

I don't agree this is a quick hook. He hasn't been able to effectively get outs for 3 years...

[Brock Beauchamp]

It's March 4th. No veteran will or should be cut for the next couple of weeks.

 

If Hughes is still ineffective later in March, then we talk about what to do.

[Doomtints]

It's worth pointing out that Duffey was equally terrible in this game.

 

It seems clear that the strategy was to try to get the two of them stretched out and have them pitch 3 innings.  Neither of them made it.

[jimbo92107]

 

I don't even want the 2-3 April starts. His arm/body has been toast for 3 years...

Twins need a roster spot more than they need the disappearing chance that Phil Hughes will regain that extra couple mph on his heater.

 

Cutting Hughes allows him to "retire" for a year, pump his butt full of steroids, pump iron, flush out the 'roids, then miraculously come back in 2019 throwing 96 as Bartolo Hughes. Everybody happy.

 

Meanwhile they've got an extra roster spot to protect one of their prospects. 

[ewen21]

 

I think he makes the team as the 5th starter or a long reliever.  I've said that I don't think they need a 5th starter when they break camp.  They will need one twice in April due to days off.  They may need fewer if there are rain outs.  Remember Terry Mulholland?  Dude had rubber in the arm and not much left in the tank, but he was the crafty veteran out of the pen that we would put out there when the game was out of hand and we needed innings.  That could be Hughes roll.

The only difference being Hughes is like ten years younger and is set to make about ten times as much.  Other than that, yeah.....

[Blake]

Okay, I've mentioned it before, but, here goes: I wrote off Mauer last year and he went on to have a very Mauer year.

 

Going with that small sample size of one, I am now officially writing off Hughes and hope the FO makes a move to get rid of Mr. Hughes.

 

Time to take the money and retire, Mr. Hughes. 

 

There, that is the official "kiss of life^tm" for Mr. Hughes.

 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

It's worth pointing out that Duffey was equally terrible in this game.

 

It seems clear that the strategy was to try to get the two of them stretched out and have them pitch 3 innings. Neither of them made it.

why Pressly between them?

[ashbury]

While I agree that it's premature to discuss this, for the sake of discussion I'll toss out this prediction: at the end of Spring Training, Hughes negotiates a buyout that is favorable to the team, say $10M, relieving them of the need to cut him outright, and he retires.

[Otto von Ballpark]

While I agree that it's premature to discuss this, for the sake of discussion I'll toss out this prediction: at the end of Spring Training, Hughes negotiates a buyout that is favorable to the team, say $10M, relieving them of the need to cut him outright, and he retires.

That would be surprising -- leaving $16.4 mil on the table? Would that be an MLB record? Even Gil Meche only walked away from $12 mil, and that was primarily just to avoid surgery and rehab in the final year of his deal. Hughes has already had the surgery and rehab -- twice.

 

EDIT: I guess Ryne Sandberg's first retirement had him forfeiting $16 mil in 1994, which is obviously a lot more in present-day dollars. But I believe Sandberg had some personal issues at the time, and actually un-retired a year and a half later.

[h2oface]

Hughes is as cooked as Perkins' was. Only his ego is keeping him in the game at this point. But he has to be cut to get the money, so that is what will have to happen. I doubt he will do a Cuddyer. 

 

If he hangs around..... the only hope I have is in the pen, which is where I would have put him since September of 2015.