Hughes Hype
Posted by Steve L. on July 21st, 2011 · Comments (19)
From the minute he was drafted by the Yankees, the hype around Phil Hughes has been…well…huge. Expectations were very large – albeit fair or not.
At this point, it’s becoming clear that Phil Huges is not going to be the type of pitcher…say…like Tim Lincecum, Felix Hernandez, Tommy Hanson, Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander, Josh Johnson, et al.
So, does that mean that Hughes is a bust?
By the way, since May 17, 2010, through yesterday, Hughes has pitched in 30 games for the Yankees, throwing 158.6 IP, and has an ERA of 5.45 during that span.
Just because Hughes hasn’t become a phenom, doesn’t make him a bust. 5/17/10 is an arbitrary date. If you view it that he was pretty much shut-down in the bullpen through 09, instrumental in a championship season, and last year had a solid, 18-win season, before his whatever-it-was caught up to him healthwise. The jury is still out on how good he can be. He still projects a solid 3-4, much like Nova, in my book. So, the question: is a home grown, low cost, solid 3-4 starter a bust? The Giants 4 starter is Jonathan Sanchez, who is inconsistent at times, but certainly not a bust. Barry Zito was a bust. A bust to me has little or no value. A 3-4 starter has considerable value, especially one who is under team control and low salary.
He’s been a disappointment, given the original expectations (the next Roger Clemens). I never bought the hype; he’s a righty w/ a low 90′s fb and decent 2ndary stuff. Dime a dozen. Being a solid 3-4 is OK, but more was expected from Hughes. Zito wasn’t a bust for the A’s, he was a Cy Young winner and an exceptional pitcher for a number of years.
What’s most frustrating is that the Yanks haven’t developed a front-end starter in about 20 years, and a true ace since the 70′s (I know, they just buy them on the FA market).
But we’ll see. Maybe Hughes will be OK for the next 5-7 years.
nwyank wrote:
Giambi said that after Hughes first Spring Training in big league camp. I bought into it then because he’s faced Clemens, and I’d think he would know. I guess I should have just asked you
(im just kidding)
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What’s most frustrating is that the Yanks haven’t developed a front-end starter in about 20 years, and a true ace since the 70′s (I know, they just buy them on the FA market).
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Wang doesn’t count? Sure he got hurt, but for a few years Wang was one of the premier pitchers in the game and our ace. His stuff might not have been as flashy as Lincecum’s but the results were right up there.
What about Andy Pettitte (he won 203 games for the Yanks and 240 overall)?
nwyank wrote:
I guess I should have been more specific. I meant for the Giants, not the A’s, and I’m qualifying in terms of value. When you look at what the Giants paid for Zito, and what they got – to me, that’s a bust.
Phil’s not a bust – he’s just not (yet) lived up to the media hype surrounding his potential.
Love Andy Pettitte. But it has been about 20 yrs since he was developed in the Yankee system.
Loved Wang too. You’re right, great results. Wish he was still on the mound in NY.
Go CC!
nwyank wrote:
Agreed
nwyank wrote:
I wholeheartedly agree. I’ve been complaining about this for years. This is a real issue for the Yanks. So we developed Pettitte (1995) and Wang (2005). Big deal. I guess some people on this site are satisfied with developing a front end starter once every decade. Well I’m not.
And what front end starter did we develop before Pettitte? Do we have to go all the way back to Guidry?
LMJ229 wrote:
Yes we do. Developing a front line starter simply doesn’t happen that often, especially with the Yanks.
I can almost live with the “not developing another Andy Pettitte since Andy Pettitte” thing. TINSTAAPP, and all that.
But, what KILLS me is how many times the Yankees (and mostly Cashman) have screwed up pitching acquistions – Jeff Weaver, Javy Vazquez 2x, Kei Igawa, Carl Pavano, A.J. Burnett, etc.
That’s the part there’s just no excuse for…esp that lame excuse of “It seemed like a good idea at the time.” Ugh.
I sincerely hope, when his time is done in Yankeeland, and Brian Cashman gets his plaque in Monument Park that it reads: “He wasted more money on bad pitching than any of G.M. in the history of the game.”
And, save me the “What about Sabathia and Mussina signings?” question. My 9-year old daughter could have told you to sign those guys. And, with the Steinbrenner Family Checkbook, WIDE OPEN, that’s what Cashman did.
Steve Lombardi wrote:
Your 9 year old daughter would’ve acquired Jeff Weaver, Javy Vazquez 2x, Kei Igawa, Carl Pavano, A.J. Burnett, etc. based on the information she had AT THE TIME.
Hindsight is 20/20.
Steve Lombardi wrote:
The salary structure is a lot different now, so saying that Cashman wasted money on bad pitching doesn’t mean as much as you’d like it to mean.
For instance. Brien Taylor (remind me who picked him?
) signed with the Yanks for $1.5M. Stephen Strasburg signed with the Nationals for $15M.
*This isn’t to say that Taylor was a bad pick; it seemed obvious to me to sign a power LHP, as they simply don’t come around often.
In 1991, Darryl Strawberry was MLB’s highest paid player @ $3.8M. Last year, it was Alex Rodriguez with $33M.
Speaking of Wang…He’s made 2 impressive rehab starts for the Nationals AAA team. Assuming he continues to progress, they think he’ll be called up after 2 more AAA starts.
I remember Steve called him the Worm Killer. May he kill many more!
@ redbug:
Great to hear. Wang is one of my favorites and I hope he does will in the senior circuit.
Starts like tonight don’t help :-/
I was at the game tonight and Hughes just looked God awful. The fact that he couldn’t even get a win with a 12 run lead speaks volumes.
Steve Lombardi wrote:
Cashman does not deserve a plaque in monument park for the very reasons you outlined in your post.
Girardi said last night was a blib for Hughes. Seems to me his last outing, when he was sharp, was the blib – at least, since after last yr’s All Star game.
Phil Hughes is to pitchers as Brian Cashman is to GMs.
When he’s good, it’s time to throw a parade and crown him. When he’s bad, it’s always not his fault and just a fluky thing or something.