PHILADELPHIA – Last off season the Yankees refused to include Phil Hughes in a package for Johan Santana. Hughes made that decision look horrendous during the season, and isn’t stopping now.
It is not just that two of his four starts in the Arizona Fall League have been poor, including Friday night’s Rising Stars showcase game. But scouts who have watched him in the AFL say Hughes’ delivery, command and array of stuff have not been impressive.
He started the Rising Stars game and permitted four runs (one earned) in three innings, allowing two homers and walking two. One scout who has seen multiple starts in the AFL by Hughes offered this report from the Rising Stars game:
“His velocity was fine. He threw some at 93-94 (mph), but mostly he was in the low 90s, but the problem was that they were straight. He gave up two bombs and even the outs were mostly hard hit. He couldn’t command his fastball to the corners at all. Only about half his curves were good and only about one in four were in the strike zone. He is working to add that changeup (to use against lefties), threw three and all were up and out of the zone.
“I think the problem is that his elbow is too low so he is not commanding because he is not throwing downhill. His command stinks because his motion stinks. For example, his curve has good rotation and break, but I think because of that delivery it breaks early and so hitters pick it up.”
There were many reasons that Yankees GM Brian Cashman advised against making a Santana deal last season, notably having to give up prospects and award Santana a record contract. But central to his thinking was that he did not want to surrender Hughes, whom he has envisioned being a cost-effective, homegrown, top-of-the-rotation stalwart.
But Hughes has not been able to stay consistently healthy, and this season when he did pitch it was not particularly well: 0-4, 6.62 ERA in the majors; 1-0, 5.90 ERA in six Triple-A starts; and now the AFL issues.
The pitcher who started against Hughes in the Rising Stars game was Atlanta’s Tommy Hanson, who is a key figure in ongoing trade discussions about San Diego ace Jake Peavy. Braves GM Frank Wren has vowed that he will not trade the organization’s top prospects, and Hanson is certainly in that class.
Three Padres officials, including director of pro and international scouting Randy Smith, watched Hanson dominate the Rising Stars game: Three no-hit innings with seven strikeouts. A scout in attendance claimed Hughes is not in the same league as Hanson, saying about the 22-year-old righty: “He is at least a number two starter. He has plus stuff and plus command. He throws his fastball 90-94 (mph), but smartly adds in two-seamers at 89-90. He has a plus slider and a plus curveball. He mixes his pitches well. He has poise. He has smarts. He puts the ball where he wants. To me the Braves have no choice, he should be in their rotation next year.”
The perception has been that Bob Brenly is the frontrunner to become the Brewers’ manager. But a person familiar with the process said Brenly’s interview did not go that well and that former A’s manager Ken Macha is now considered the leading candidate. Willie Randolph is the third person currently being considered for the job. He is well liked by Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin and his interview apparently went well. In addition – surprisingly – he has received strong endorsements from Mets officials. Of course, if Randolph is hired by the Brewers some of the $2.25 million the Mets still owe him for 2009 would be removed, which could be a good reason for Met officials to be so positive about Randolph.
Pedro Martinez is going to be an interesting free-agent case to see how many teams bid and for how much. Here is a quirk that is sure to work against his candidacy: Martinez allowed exactly as many earned runs (68) in 109 innings last season as he did in his first Mets season of 2005 when he worked 217 innings. Of the 142 pitchers who worked at least 100 innings last year, Martinez’s 5.61 ERA ranked 126th.