Free Agent Fridays: Jared Hughes
During the Pittsburgh Pirates playoff seasons of 2013 to 2015, one of the big parts of the team's bullpen was reliever Jared Hughes. He was the guy that former manager Clint Hurdle would call on when there was trouble on the base paths and, more often than not, Hughes would strand the runners and get the team back to the dugout. Now that he is a free agent, a reunion could help strengthen the Pirates bullpen for 2021, an area that struggled mightily during the 2020 season. Even entering his age 35 season, Hughes has shown that he can he an effective reliever, and get the big outs when you need him too.
Since he left the Pirates following the 2016 season, Hughes has played for four different teams and has continued to post an ERA ranging from the mid-threes to low-fours. He relies heavily on his sinker and likes to get outs on the ground rather than blowing anything by you. Last season, he pitched for the New York Mets and posted a 4.84 ERA over 22.1 innings while walking 14 and striking out 21. He had a career-low 1.50 strikeout to walk ratio last season showing that he still has good control of his pitches. Hughes was a bulldog when he pitched here in Pittsburgh to begin his career, now as his career is reaching the end, he could run out of the PNC Park bullpen one more time.
Hughes Early Career in Black and Gold
Back in 2006, the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted Jared Hughes in the fourth round of the MLB Draft out of California State. It was the second time Hughes was drafted, but this time he signed and became a Pirate. It took him five years to climb the Pirates Minor League ladder, and he made his Pirates debut in December of 2011. From then on, he became a permanent staple in the Pirates bullpen and quickly became a fan favorite. During his first full season in 2012, Hughes went an impressive 2-2 with a 2.85 ERA in 66 games as a middle-reliever for the Bucs. Opponents hit just .226 off the right-hander and his Pirates career was off and running.
Hughes would spend the next six years with the Bucs and was a part of all three playoff teams for the Pirates. Over his six seasons in the Black and Gold, he went 15-13 with a 2.82 ERA in 313 games. He didn't get hit around much with a Hits per nine average of 8.6 and a WHIP of 1.2 during that span. His best season in Pittsburgh came in 2014 when he went 7-5 and posted a 1.96 ERA in 63 games with the Pirates. He had the lowest ERA of anyone in the Pirates bullpen that season and earned his title as a pitcher who can strand base runners. That season still ranks as one of the best of his career and it is one of only two times that Hughes has posted a sub-two ERA.
The Pirates let Hughes go following the 2016 season, and he would end up going to division rival Milwaukee. He spent a season in the Brewers bullpen and continued his success posting a 3.02 ERA in 67 games with the Brewers. He continued to use his sinker effectively and held opponents to a .231 opponent batting average. Hughes would once again be a free agent after the 2017 season and spent the next two years with the hated Cincinnati Reds. Over his two seasons, he went 7-7 with a 2.76 ERA in 127 innings pitched. His best season with the Reds was in 2018 when he posted a career-low 1.94 ERA in 72 games and even served as the team's closer for a while picking up seven saves.
However, in August of 2019, Hughes was back on the free-agent market as the Cincinnati Reds decided to DFA Hughes. He was quickly picked up by the Philadelphia Phillies and appeared in 25 games for the Phils going 2-1 with a 3.91 ERA. Hughes would hit free agency once again and signed with the Houston Astros before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. He spent Spring Training 1.0 with the Astros but was released when the season was shut down. He didn't sign again until June 30th and he ended up spending 2020 with the New York Mets. While his ERA was elevated to 4.84, he still worked in 22 games for the Mets and held opponents to a .256 batting average. As he gets older, he isn't going to be the guy he was when he was first with the Pirates, but he could serve as a veteran middle reliever to help stabilize the path to the closer's spot.
Low Price (Huge)hes Return
If the Pirates were to explore a deal with Jared Hughes, his price tag should be in a reasonable ballpark for the Pirates. When he signed with the Mets last season, it was only for a one-year $700,000 deal which is definitely a price that the Pirates could offer. It is a classic low risk, high reward move that could add some veteran presence to their bullpen. Looking at the Pirates core of middle relievers, you have Tyler Bashlor, Carson Fulmer, Austin Davis, and Edgar Santana. None of those guys have more than two years of experience at the Big League level and Hughes could come in and eat up some innings that those guys would previously be asked to take.
A middle reliever is probably going to be one of the things higher up on Ben Cherrington's list of off-season things to do. There are plenty of low-budget veteran relief pitchers available that could help bolster the Pirates bullpen right away. Add that to some of the key pitchers the Pirates have like Richard Rodriguez and Kyle Crick and the bullpen could go back to being a reliable entity for the Pirates moving forward. There is still plenty of off-season to go and the Pirates have a lot of work to do before camp opens in February. The roster will start to take shape and we will see what these young guys can do moving into 2021 and beyond.
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