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One free agent I was very curious to follow this offseason was Tyson Ross, because of his intriguing parallels with Hughes. They are almost the same age (Ross 29, Hughes 30). In 2014, both were at the top of their games, ranking among the best starting pitchers in their respective leagues. Ross continued to pitch well the following season while Hughes dropped off, but chronic shoulder problems caught up to both right-handers in 2016.
Ross made only one (terrible) start on Opening Day before missing the entire campaign and eventually undergoing thoracic outlet surgery. Hughes, as we know, fought through with a bad wing and pitched into June before being pegged for the same fate.
However, in his case, the decision was made more quickly. Ross didn't go under the knife until mid-October – three months after Hughes, who opted for the operation shortly after his season ended on a line drive to the leg.
I figured that the former Padres ace's market might prove telling with regards to how the league at large is currently viewing thoracic outlet surgery, a rib-removal procedure that has been relatively rare for major-league pitchers, at least up until recently.
The track record for hurlers who've been through it isn't great. But we've also seen an unprecedented number of high-profile players – including Royals reliever Luke Hochevar and Mets superstar Matt Harvey – elect the surgery within the past year.
Earlier this week, Ross signed with the Texas Rangers for $6 million plus incentives. The fact that he ended up with not only a major-league contract, but a reasonably high guaranteed sum, tells us that there was a fair amount of competition for his services. The Rangers aren't the only team believing Ross, who will be only four months removed from thoracic outlet surgery when he reports for spring training, can be a productive starting pitcher this year.
(Incidentally, Texas subsequently signed Dillon Gee – another recent TOS survivor – to a minor-league deal a few days later. Does Thad Levine's former front office have some unique enlightenment about this surgery?)
Now, there are a few factors worth noting here. Ross has a sturdier history, with a more prolonged run of success in San Diego before getting hurt. And he was one of the lone upside plays in a very uninspiring free agent crop, which surely elevated his appeal.
But Hughes will be three months ahead in his rehab, and he has already started throwing bullpen sessions here in mid-January.
My observation is that most Twins fans have either forgotten or dismissed the righty's first season in Minnesota, having watched him scuffle along at some fraction of full strength ever since.
I can still recall the wave of enthusiasm I felt in spring training of 2014 when I first saw Hughes throw. He was pitching in a side game on a minor-league field, but still, it was obvious the guy had it. He was attacking with vicious stuff, hitting his spots, strutting off the mound. He was young, and he had the confidence you would expect from a guy with his résumé: first-round draft pick, top prospect, dominant setup man for a World Series champ in 2009, 18-game winner in 2010.
I wrote at the time about the buzz surrounding him in camp, and included a vintage Ron Gardenhire quote regarding the new acquisition's outing on that fenced-in side field: "Hughesy threw the [expletive] out of the ball." The early positive harbingers were proven valid when the right-hander went on to set the all-time MLB record for K/BB ratio, and turned in arguably the best performance by a Twins starter since Johan Santana's departure.
Hughes doesn't need to get all the way back to that level to be a quality rotation piece who helps turn around Minnesota's run prevention woes. The question is how close he can get. And unlike his friend Glen Perkins – who faces a much steeper climb in his return from labrum surgery – I think there's significant reason for optimism this year with Hughes.
The widespread interest in Ross, who is a half-season behind Hughes in his rehab, only reinforces that.
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