Yanks still committed to Phil Hughes

June 17, 2008 by Benjamin Kabak 44 Comments

Despite his early season struggles and his being overshadowed by Joba, Phil Hughes is still very much a part of the Yankees’ futures plans. As Brian Cashman tells Tyler Kepner over on the Bats blog, the Yanks still consider Hughes an untouchable. While Hughes won’t return to the Bronx until early August, the Yanks weren’t about to trade Phil for Johan Santana, and they won’t part with him to land C.C. Sabathia. So all you haters are just going to have to deal for a little longer.

TurnTwo

they dont have a choice in the matter, really.

to give up on Hughes now at the lowest point of his value would be conceding a mistake, and would make the organization almost look as foolish as that other one in Queens.
A.D.

Excellent news especially with the CC Rumor fill firing up for baseball analysts everywhere.

Kid is 21, a top talet, and him and Joba at the top of the rotation for years to come, is going to be fun to watch
Rob_in_CT

His trade value may well be at an all-time low. Regardless of whether or not you believe that Hughes can/will be an elite pitcher, trading him now is dumb. If you don’t believe in Phil, you still have to get him to pitch well for a little while and *then* trade him.
E-ROC

Maybe Erik Bedard can be had for pennies?
eddyb

you have to wonder why Tyler Kepner mentions Kei Igawa as a potential fill-in. I can’t ever see him pitching for the club again.
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Ben K.
  
  He mentions Igawa because Cashman mentioned Igawa during an interview on Mike & the Mad Dog yesterday. I think that’s just a ploy by Brian though. No way would the Yanks have Igawa throw again at the Major League level. I hope.
  - steve (different one)
    
    i think Igawa will pitch in the Bronx (or Queens) before the month is over.
    
    the Yankees will need a 6th starter the week of the Mets double header.
    
    i don’t see who would get the call before Igawa unless Kennedy is ready.
    - B
      
      Kennedy? No thanks, keep him in the minors, build up his value and trade him like we should have over the winter!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=594331910 Jamal G.

His trade value is not at an all-time low. There is no GM in baseball who wouldn’t be chomping at the bit to acquire Phil Hughes. Only short-sighted fans look at 19 starts of a 21-year old rookie’s Major League career and make any kind of conclusion on him. I am being nice when I say short-sighted.

If you want an example look at Edison Volquez. Look at what he did in his Major League career from 2005-2007 and then look at who Texas traded him for. Like I said before, GMs know better. They know talent and they aren’t going to not trade for a guy or use an excuse in trade negotiations like “Look at what he did in 19 starts, he’s a bust!!1!!111!!”, that’s just nonsensical.
- Setty
  
  I think his trade value is currently low not only b/c of his performance but b/c he is injured
  - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=594331910 Jamal G.
    
    Again, the performance of a 21-year old pitching prospect who was rated as the #1 overall pitching prospect according to the infamous baseball publication, Baseball America, does that mean anything if you are talking about such a small sample size in 19 starts. Nobody, and I mean nobody, draws conclusions about Hughes’ ability or value because of these 19 starts. That would make zero sense and I guarantee you that if Hughes comes off the DL before July 31st he could be traded for almost any player in professional baseball.
    - steve (different one)
      
      That would make zero sense and I guarantee you that if Hughes comes off the DL before July 31st he could be traded for almost any player in professional baseball.
      
      let’s not go crazy.
      
      i agree with your overall point 100%, but there are many, many players that Hughes could not fetch at this point.
      - Joltin’ Joe
        
        Yeah, Pujols and the other contending All-Star types, but Jason Bay, Matt Holliday, etc. are in reach.
      - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=594331910 Jamal G.
        
        You’re right, how about this one, a veteran player of any caliber who is in his walk year or within two seasons of free agency? If the Rockie consider themselves out of it I am sure Phil Hughes would get a conversation going, same for Sabathia, Adam Dunn, and so on.
        
        B
        
        I wouldn’t trade Hughes for any of those players!
      - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=594331910 Jamal G.
        
        You’re right, how about this one, a veteran player of any caliber who is in his walk year or within two seasons of free agency? If the Rockies consider themselves out of it I am sure Phil Hughes would get a conversation going for Matt Holiday, same for Sabathia, Adam Dunn, and so on.
    - Chris
      
      Everything counts in evaluating someone. Yes, it’s a small sample size, but it’s still part of the overall performance. The bigger issue affecting him is his injury history, not his performance. He’s pitched 4 full seasons as a pro, and had injury problems in 3 of those years. You’re not going to get full value for him until he pitches a full season in the majors.
      
      This doesn’t mean that he has no trade value now. It just means that his value is lower than it could be.
  - Ed
    
    He trade value is low because you’re not allowed to trade a player on the disabled list and he’s not scheduled to come off of it until after the trading deadline.
    
    The only team you could trade him to is the Mariners, as they have first pick on the waiver wire. Of course, you wouldn’t be able to get anyone of value through the waiver wire to the Yankees. You’d have to trade him for someone not yet on the 40 man, which would be a pretty stupid move if you don’t have the patience for Hughes.
    - http://www.riveraveblues.com Ben K.
      
      The Yanks could remove Hughes from the DL, option him to AAA and trade him. The DL is not that big a detriment to a trade in this case. Not that a trade is going to happen….
      - Ed
        
        Obviously I don’t think a trade would happen, anyway, to continue on your thought process…
        
        If the Yankees activated Hughes and immediately optioned him to AAA when he wasn’t ready to play, the Player’s Union would instantly file a grievance, as doing that would drop his salary from the Major League rate to the Minor League rate. That issue would probably hold things up. I think you could only get away with that if he was close to returning.
        
        Second, I have no idea what the restrictions are, but there has to be some rule preventing them from activating Hughes, trading him, and then him being disabled again. Otherwise, what’s the point of having the rule?
- JR_CLT
  
  Finally, someone who sees the bigger picture.
  Thanks Jamal! I enjoy your posts. Keep them coming
Ivan

Hughes still has the potential to be a front-line pitcher. The guy is 21 and we have seen flashes.
Rich

I am really confident that Hughes will make a major contribution to the team this season.
Brian

This is great to read, how despite the sensational approach we read all the time, Cashman always takes the long view.
I know Phil was great at the end of last season, but I didn’t remember he was 4-0 with a 2.56. Nice, he said, completely forgetting this year.
Axl

Hughes was the 2nd youngest player in the majors (at the beginning of the season) and WAS the youngest pitcher in the majors at that same time…
I think its hilarious the people who try to analyze the trade proposal for Johan Santana after not even 3 months of a season after the proposal was made. You don’t judge a long term decision by a small sample size of less than 3 months immediately after it. That doesn’t make any sense. These people are idiots.
Hughes will be great. He’s young and he’s getting hurt a lot…but that’s because he was brought up too fast and the adreneline and emotion is getting to him and he’s trying too hard. How else do you sprain your ankle while rehabbing a hamstring injury? Doing too much…
Kennedy needs to shadow Mussina down to the wire. He needs to locate his pitches…he’s just throwing them where the hitters want them.
Wang is a huge hit…like Girardi said…how do you replace 19 wins? It’s going to be extremely tough…but with the performance Mussina is putting on this year….he might be able to take Wangs place….while Wang plus another spot starter might be able to be even better than Mussina’s place last season. So it could work out…
Andy in Sunny Daytona Beach

Hughes is obviously a bust. He’s had 21 tries, time to get rid of him. Cano is hitt .225, bye-bye. The next Rickey Henderson, Brett Gardner, is wasting his talent in AAA, so bye-bye Melky. Ian Kennedy obviously doesn’t know how to pitch, so bye.
The Yanks would be lucky to receive a bag of warm up balls for any of these guys.
On second thought Joba has started 3 times with nothing to show for it….Bye.
How much time are the Yankees going to give these guys? Time to cut bait and bring up all of the hall-of-famers in waiting that we have in the minors.
- Axl
  
  Andy, how about we say “bye bye” to you? You’re clearly a moron and know absolutely nothing about the sport of baseball.
  
  Why are you even on this website? Shouldn’t you be playing World of Warcraft or something?
  - http://www.riveraveblues.com Ben K.
    
    I’m not sure what made me laugh harder: Andy’s completely sarcastic tongue-in-cheek comment or Axl’s reply in which he missed the point?
    
    :)
    - Axl
      
      I figured it was sarcastic up until I saw the positive remark about Gardner…then I was confused…so I wrote something anyway…
      - Andy in Sunny Daytona Beach
        
        Sorry to break your heart Axl, but I’m not sold on Gardner. I think a player who is a year younger with 2 and a half years of major league experience is more important than a minror leaguer
        
        Andy in Sunny Daytona Beach
        
        ..or a MINOR leaguer.
        
        Axl
        
        I guess you’re right…although Cashman sees him as a Juan Pierre who can walk as well. So wouldn’t that be like Jacoby Ellsbury exactly??
        We could use a spark like that…even though Melky has more of an upside…I’m sure Gardner would give us a shot.
    - tommiesmithjohncarlos
      
      What the fuck is sarcasm???
      - tommiesmithjohncarlos
        
        And what the fuck is juice???
        
        Andy in Sunny Daytona Beach
        
        I’ve always been partial to red drink.
        
        tommiesmithjohncarlos
        
        Sugar, water… and of course, purple.
  - Axl
    
    Gardner is good…but the last thing we need right now is another lefty bat. We’re searching for a good starter…a good 8th inning guy..and a lefty reliever…and if anything…a RIGHTY 1B to platoon with Giambi. No point to take out the switch hitting Melky at the moment.
    And Robinson Cano was pretty much the only offense in the playoffs last season…so you’re going to kick him out because of one off year?
    Kicking out Joba too? I mean cmon buddy, get a pulse.
Andy in Sunny Daytona Beach

I was obviously kidding Axl.
- Andy in Sunny Daytona Beach
  
  Besides, I’m old-school. It’s Dungeons and Dragons for me.
  - Axl
    
    Hahaha. I thought so.
    
    D&D eh? Well to each their own…haha
    - Andy in Sunny Daytona Beach
      
      What’s Paradise City like?
      - http://yankeesetc.blogspot.com/ Travis G.
        
        the grass is green and the girls are pretty.
http://yankeesetc.blogspot.com/ Travis G.

Ben, when you say hughes wont return to the Bronx until early august, do you actually mean the Yankees or just pitching in the minors?
- http://www.riveraveblues.com Ben K.
  
  Majors. He’ll begin a throwing program soon, and if the Yanks like what they see, Hughes is by far a better option for the questionable rotation spots than anyone else internally right now.