What Happens to Hughes and Sanchez?

[strumdatjaguar]

With the signing of Lance Lynn, I expect that Hughes and Sanchez will have to perform very well in the next few weeks to stay with the big league squad.  Their likely roles would be long relief and spot starter.   My prediction: Only one or neither will survive ST,    If they do not stay with the big league squad, Hughes will be waived,  nobody will claim him at his current salary - and he'll go to Rochester,   Sanchez will be DFAed.- and may possibly negotiate a minor league deal (if he looks good).  Barring injury, the ultimate rotation (Santana, Berrios, Lynn, Odorizzi and Gibson) leaves no room for anyone else.   Injuries or lousy performances by Kyle Gibson are the only ways there will openings to fill in this starting rotation .   The Twins now will have the depth to deal with those and other kinds of problems.   Playoff hopes have been renewed

[TKGuy]

Hughes in long relief until Santana gets back?

[Rosterman]

I would hope the Twins bring the best bullpen ever north with them. DOn't give a spot just because you owe him $13,5 million, or someone is out of options, or someone was a Rule 5 pick. The player HAS to be the best to earn that position.

 

That being said, the Twins will still need to pencil in a fifth starter name, be it Sanchez, Hughes or Duffey (I go for Duffey) and to keep Slegers and Mejia in the wings and the trio of Romero, Jorge and Gonsalves as backup (plus Enns is also in the mix, my friends...unless they choose to cut bait with him...but a solid lefty at a low coat salary -- well, I would rather eat Hughes salary or cut ties with Sanchez at this point.

[kab21]

Now there is pretty much no reason to keep them. Maybe keep one as a spot starter/long relief for the first month but that is about all that is needed.

[jimmer]

If Hughes is healthy, he should go to the bullpen. Which should always have been the plan.

[bighat]

I agree that Hughes at this point should be looking at mop-up duty, long relief. Save some other bullpen arms in blowouts, that kind of thing. Not often you pay a guy big bucks for that role, but we got 'em so why not. Duff Man seemed decent in shorter appearances last year. Keep Hughes for the long relief role and have Duffey as your 6th inning guy and/or work off a righty-lefty matchup guy with Duke. Wait...maybe that's Pressley's role. Heck I dunno.

[jimmer]

 

I agree that Hughes at this point should be looking at mop-up duty, long relief. Save some other bullpen arms in blowouts, that kind of thing. Not often you pay a guy big bucks for that role, but we got 'em so why not. Duff Man seemed decent in shorter appearances last year. Keep Hughes for the long relief role and have Duffey as your 6th inning guy and/or work off a righty-lefty matchup guy with Duke. Wait...maybe that's Pressley's role. Heck I dunno.

If healthy, I'd be fine with having him be a one inning guy too.  Let him open it up an inning at a time.

[PseudoSABR]

No reason to make a decision on either until Opening day, unless they want to give one or the other a chance to catch on with another club.  They both can provide depth in case of injury, so holding onto at least Hughes (sunk cost) makes sense. 

[DocBauer]

I just see no role for Sanchez at this point. As I stated in the Lynn thread, he is a flier only and has shown nothing, be it early in ST or not. There is nothing truly invested in him, not to sound harsh, and who in the pen would you displace for him?

 

Hughes has a shot as the 5th starter, over Mejia, at least to begin the season. But once Santana is back, I just don't see room for him unless someone is injured.

 

Bullpen for Hughes? Only if they go with the 4 man rotation the first month or so. IMO, Rodney, Reed, Duke, Hildenberger, Rogers and Pressly are virtual locks. That's 6 out of 7 spots. Duffey and Busentiz would seem to be fighting for the final spot, each with options remaining, true. Does Hughes jump both of them? Can he jump at least one of them for a spot if they keep 8 relievers and a 4 man rotation?

 

Hughes gets paid no matter what. It's a done deal and on the books. The new FO has been pretty aggressive in regard to moves and roster manipulation. I just don't see them holding on to Hughes simply due to his contract.

 

The one thing I wondered about Hughes last year, coming of surgery, and it applies the same this year coming off surgery yet again, is what about a DL classification...EST...followed by milb rehab time. Wouldn't this seem appropriate, veteran or not, for a player coming off surgery and attempting to regain velocity and such?

[Thrylos]

Sanchez will be cut to open a 40-man spot for Lynn.

 

Hughes will be in the pen.  And that's not a bad thing.

Wildcard (and a big one) : we are in the middle of Spring Training.  Lynn has not really pitched.  Will he be ready?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  We will find out.

[Old Twins Cap]

Hughes is a sunk cost at this point.

 

If he's injured and goes on the DL, the Twins can recoup insurance, maybe.

 

If he shows something, another team might take a flyer on him if the Twins eat most (all) of his salary, maybe.

 

If he can pitch, the Twins can keep him in the bullpen and he can contribute, maybe.

 

Three maybes and a hard road for Phil Hughes and the Twins.

 

Just cut him.

[gunnarthor]

Santana will start on the DL so even if health for everyone else remains ok, one of them could make the rotation with a good spring. Sanchez can also be released. Hughes could be a longman or the Twins could just eat his salary. Just let spring play out.

[strumdatjaguar]

If the TWins send Hughes down, no team is goinmg to pay his contract.  So, looks like a freebie.  If he miraculously regains his form of a few years ago, then we bring him back.

[gunnarthor]

 

If the TWins send Hughes down, no team is goinmg to pay his contract.  So, looks like a freebie.  If he miraculously regains his form of a few years ago, then we bring him back.

Hughes doesn't have to accept a trip to AAA. If he doesn't, he'd be released and the Twins would still owe him the remainder of his contract. Other teams could get him for league minimum.

[Riverbrian]

 

No reason to make a decision on either until Opening day, unless they want to give one or the other a chance to catch on with another club.  They both can provide depth in case of injury, so holding onto at least Hughes (sunk cost) makes sense. 

 

I agree but they will need a 40 man spot. I'm guessing it will be Sanchez or Vargas. 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

No reason to make a decision on either until Opening day, unless they want to give one or the other a chance to catch on with another club. They both can provide depth in case of injury, so holding onto at least Hughes (sunk cost) makes sense.

Sanchez has an escalator is his contract 16 days before opening day, 400k becomes 600 k up to opening day when his ml contract vests up to 2.5 mil(not sure if there are other incentives to get all of that)

 

They’ll want to cut him loose before March 29

[Rosterman]

Cut Sanchez and save the money. You can also cut Grossman and save some money. You have to keep Vargas in camp to see if Logan Morrison remains healthy thruout.

[Mike Sixel]

I'd cut Sanchez. The fifth starter should have options.... And upside. They need the roster space, cut him.

[The Wise One]

I wouldn't know for these players what is going to happen. Spring training is not yet done. There is plenty more time to gather information and make a decision.  In the absence  of some reason to make a decision there is no need to make one tonight.  

[gocgo]

 

I agree. By April 1, Sanchez is playing for another organization and Hughes is in Rochester. Hughes will try to get a MLB spot if Gibson or Duffy (long man) falters.  The competition for the "replace an injured or ineffective starter" will be between Hughes, Mejia and Gonslaves with Mejia the likely winner. 

 

Amazing off season for the FO. 

Agree.  We have options...the Angels have issues.  What do you do when the guy that you hung your franchise on isn't all that he was advertised to be?  Glad we avoided that train wreck.

[RaoulDuke]

 

Agree.  We have options...the Angels have issues.  What do you do when the guy that you hung your franchise on isn't all that he was advertised to be?  Glad we avoided that train wreck.

 

Otani was such a get because he was super cheap even if he fails miserably he isn't a train wreck. If he takes time to break in or proves to only be an average player he is a great get for the money.  I am very interested to watch it play out, I doubt he stays a pitcher/ hitter unless he proves to be a stud at both.   

[RaoulDuke]

 

I just see no role for Sanchez at this point. As I stated in the Lynn thread, he is a flier only and has shown nothing, be it early in ST or not. There is nothing truly invested in him, not to sound harsh, and who in the pen would you displace for him?

Hughes has a shot as the 5th starter, over Mejia, at least to begin the season. But once Santana is back, I just don't see room for him unless someone is injured.

Bullpen for Hughes? Only if they go with the 4 man rotation the first month or so. IMO, Rodney, Reed, Duke, Hildenberger, Rogers and Pressly are virtual locks. That's 6 out of 7 spots. Duffey and Busentiz would seem to be fighting for the final spot, each with options remaining, true. Does Hughes jump both of them? Can he jump at least one of them for a spot if they keep 8 relievers and a 4 man rotation?

Hughes gets paid no matter what. It's a done deal and on the books. The new FO has been pretty aggressive in regard to moves and roster manipulation. I just don't see them holding on to Hughes simply due to his contract.

The one thing I wondered about Hughes last year, coming of surgery, and it applies the same this year coming off surgery yet again, is what about a DL classification...EST...followed by milb rehab time. Wouldn't this seem appropriate, veteran or not, for a player coming off surgery and attempting to regain velocity and such?

 

There is the rule 5 guy as well, they like him enough to have kept him so far and he certainly brings gas.

 

 

[kab21]

 

Agree.  We have options...the Angels have issues.  What do you do when the guy that you hung your franchise on isn't all that he was advertised to be?  Glad we avoided that train wreck.

They paid about 22M for Otani and have him at the MLB min or in arb for 6 years. This isn't an issue for them.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

So Sanchez is a free agent

 

https://www.twincities.com/2018/03/11/twins-release-veteran-pitcher-anibal-sanchez/

[USAFChief]

Agree.  We have options...the Angels have issues.  What do you do when the guy that you hung your franchise on isn't all that he was advertised to be?  Glad we avoided that train wreck.

In addition to the points raised by others about the minor money involved, it’s not even the middle of March. There is no train wreck yet.

[Nine of twelve]

Agree.  We have options...the Angels have issues.  What do you do when the guy that you hung your franchise on isn't all that he was advertised to be?  Glad we avoided that train wreck.

 

 

Otani was such a get because he was super cheap even if he fails miserably he isn't a train wreck. If he takes time to break in or proves to only be an average player he is a great get for the money.  I am very interested to watch it play out, I doubt he stays a pitcher/ hitter unless he proves to be a stud at both.

I'm guessing that Pujols is whom gocgo was referencing. The Angels owe him $27M for this season. $28 M next year. $29M the year after that. $30 M the year after that. And $10M for a personal services contract after that. And the man barely made it through 2017. And some people around here complain about Mauer's contract?

[Riverbrian]

 

So Sanchez is a free agent

https://www.twincities.com/2018/03/11/twins-release-veteran-pitcher-anibal-sanchez/

 

Needed to clear a 40 man spot for Lynn. I was thinking that Anibal might be the guy. 

 

Vargas was the other possibility but the Twins are a little light on Non Pitchers when it comes to the 40 man. 

 

So... I was thinking Sanchez... And how bout' that... I was right for once!!! 

[Nine of twelve]

Needed to clear a 40 man spot for Lynn. I was thinking that Anibal might be the guy. 

 

Vargas was the other possibility but the Twins are a little light on Non Pitchers when it comes to the 40 man. 

 

So... I was thinking Sanchez... And how bout' that... I was right for once!!! 

Another way to say that is the Twins were right for once.

[strumdatjaguar]

That leaves Hughes fighting for a spot in the bullpen or being sent to Rochester (no other team will pick up his contract).   He could retire too.

[Halsey Hall]

Sanchez was pulled off the bus to get the word.  I figured it wouldn't take long.  Lynn was dolled up in white uniform for photos in the cages.  Japan wants Vargas, 3 mill is what I heard.