Does Phil Hughes, just ushered to the DL, really have a strained right oblique muscle?
Color us skeptical. As
Michael Salfino writes,
as there was "[n]o mention of this after the miserable outing versus the Tigers on Tuesday. And no mention, either, from manager Joe Girardi when he was
getting snippy with reporters for pressing him for more clarity when he only said that Hughes was 'scheduled' to make his next start and refused to commit
beyond that or admit that Hughes's big-league status was in jeopardy."
No mention of this after the miserable outing versus the Tigers on Tuesday. And no mention, either, from manager Joe Girardi when he was getting snippy with
reporters for pressing him for more clarity when he only said that Hughes was "scheduled" to make his next start and refused to commit beyond that or admit
that Hughes's big-league status was in jeopardy.
Hughes is now, officially, "The Guy the Yankees wouldn't trade forJohan Santana." That's a tough burden for the youngest pitcher in the league to carry. There were extenuating factors in that decision. The Yankees' payroll required a 40-percent premium on the market deal that Santana would require as
part of that trade. It
was this fact combined with Hughes' prospective value and guaranteed low salary for the next couple of seasons that tilted the scales
against the trade. But the sound bite that the ignoramuses have walked away with is, The Yankees think Hughes is better than Santana."
Worse, they judge Hughes right now. But he was always a projection. You can't expect a 21-year-old pitcher to walk into the big leagues and dominate. That
happens one or twice a generation. Most guys, even those who end up great, are either toiling in the Minors at that age or struggling in the Majors. Look at
the first 30
starts of Hall of Fame-caliber pitchers, and you'll see lots of ugly lines.
A team must decide whether they will invest in guys like Hughes, who have decent prospects for greatness. This necessarily means that there will be pain
along the way. It seems obvious, but it's easy to forget as the bad outings pile up. You pay now so you can profit later.
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Exactly. Of course, you don't expect to pay quite this much: Pain is one thing, but six winless starts and a
9.00 ERA is more like torture (or, if you
prefer, "enhanced coercive interrogation technique"). At this point, I've read so many "what's wrong with Phil Hughes" articles that my head's spinning.
Apparently his mechanics aren't what they were,
and this may or may not be related to last year's hamstring
injury.
Whether he's now got a "strained quad" or just a strained psyche, my guess is that he's going to spend a few weeks in Tampa -- now a proud tradition for
struggling Yankee pitchers -- before returning to the minors to regain his confidence. I don't know how long that will take, and I'm assuming that Hughes is
essentially healthy. But I do think that he'll give the Yankees some solid innings in August and September.
Rob Neyer
