The New York Mets continued adding to their veteran reserves as they sign veteran reliever Jared Hughes. He agreed to a one year deal worth a pro-rated $700K, which equals about $260K in the modified 60-game season. Hughes will also join the Mets 60-man player pool at Citi Field.
We’ve signed RHP Jared Hughes and expect to add him to our player pool. pic.twitter.com/PteeG7asPU
— New York Mets (@Mets) July 1, 2020
Hughes turns 35 in a couple of days and is heading into his 10th season in the big leagues. The 6’7″ right-hander is known for his hard, diving sinker and his comical antics off the field. With the track record Hughes has, he could end up being a huge steal for the Mets. He could earn an extra $300K in incentives should he spend a set amount of days on the active roster.
Bounce Back Season
Baseball is a game all about “what have you done for me lately?” Hughes struggled in 2019 with a 4.04 ERA and a career-high 1.6 HR/9 with the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies. He pitched even worse during Spring Training with a 6.35 ERA in 5.2 innings with the Houston Astros. They released Hughes about a week into the postponement of the MLB season.
Before 2019, Hughes pitched to a 2.69 career ERA, a 0.6 HR/9, and averaged 56 games per season. He was one of the most underrated relievers in all of baseball. His antics of sprinting from the bullpen and wacky photos overshadows his quality pitching.
The move is the best insurance policy the Mets have from any veteran they have. Hughes fits right into the bullpen should Drew Smith require more time to recover from Tommy John Surgery. He also is insurance if Edwin Diaz or Jeurys Familia continue their poor pitching from the 2019 season.