What was your favorite Luke Hughes moment?

[StormJH1]

Hughes is very similar to Plouffe... Both have some power, but aren't very good hitters, and neither has a position they are particularly good at... They are expendible, because the minor leagues are littered with players like this...

I agree with this comment. Virtually everyone on the club is out of options. Hughes had OK power numbers in the minors, but also struck out 104 times in 432 AB's at Triple-A. He was a failed prospect at 27, if he was ever a MLB prospect at all.

 

Plouffe's defense at SS may be terrible, but Hughes wasn't even an emergency option at SS. Hughes can play a little bit of 2nd base, but so can Plouffe, and Burroughs as a LH option at backup 3B has more upside than Hughes. Plouffe's value is the chance for a RH bat to play right field, which is something Parmalee and Clete Thomas are not, and Doumit does not do well. Hughes is redundant, and I hope he catches on somewhere else that needs his services.

[Bark's Lounge]

It would have been nice to see if Hughes could have gotten his bat going with some semi-regular playing time. That being said he never forced the issue to justify that result because of his not so excellent defense. I agree with most that some MLB team will take flyer on him and claim him off waivers. My prediction for Hughes in the next year is that he washes out in the Majors and signs with a team in Japan and becomes an All-Star type hitter in the Nippon League.

[Seth Stohs]

The fact that there has been no word on Bowden AND they found it necessary to DFA a useful player unnecessarily, might mean something. Might mean that the Twins needed to make room for Bowden on the 40 man roster, OR that they plan to add someone like Dozier to the 40 man roster (and call him up) shortly.

[Thrylos]

The fact that there has been no word on Bowden AND they found it necessary to DFA a useful player unnecessarily, might mean something. Might mean that the Twins needed to make room for Bowden on the 40 man roster, OR that they plan to add someone like Dozier to the 40 man roster (and call him up) shortly.

Well, they could have removed Nishioka from the 40 man roster to add Bowden

 

I don't like this move. Burroughs is not as good a player as Hughes is and Gray does not belong to the majors. I think that this is going to be another Garrett Jones/Sergio Santos regreatable move for the Twins. At least Ryan is still "interim"...

[Highabove]

Luke was scheduled for a Fan Cave visit today.

[eveldrive]

I gotta think this is a first step in a series of moves leading to acquiring a starting pitcher.

[Nick Nelson]

Yeah, I'm pretty shocked by this. Not that I think Hughes is anything special, but they didn't give him much of a chance to show anything after a legitimately impressive spring. I think Gardy really dislikes his defense

[Seth Stohs]

Yeah, I'm pretty shocked by this. Not that I think Hughes is anything special, but they didn't give him much of a chance to show anything after a legitimately impressive spring. I think Gardy really dislikes his defense

Exactly. I'm a fan of Hughes and would loved to have seen him get a chance, but I won't pretend that they're going to miss him. It's just strange because there are so many other moves that would have (in my opinion) made much more sense. (I'm not sure that's a positive for an organization!)

[Top Gun]

This is just t the beginning there will be alot more to go if they can't play.

[DaveW]

Though I think they could/should have sent someone down instead, Hughes was never going to be anything special in the majors.

 

I question his ability to play an even decent defensive INF and he is to injury prone and doesn't hit enough to ever be considered a serious option in the outfield. Hopefully this indicates that the Twins are planning to bring up Dozier very soon, which more or less would have pushed Hughes out of the equation anyways.

 

Blackburn to the DL however would have made the most sense (unless he comes back soon)

[one_eyed_jack]

My favorite Luke Hughes moment was when he supposed to get in for a game at Target Field but didn't after he missed his flight because he was waiting at the wrong gate at the airport! Seriously though, if he does get picked up, good luck to him. Don't think he'll ever amount to much more than an average bench player, but he seems like a decent bloke.

[Teflon]

Luke was one of the better spring training mashers. Maybe he'd be a good fit with the Marlins where he could play all season in Florida.

[Ultima Ratio]

For those of you who'd rather have Blackburn on the 15 day DL and not expose Hughes, wouldn't that move just prolonging the inevitable and only by 10 days or so? Do you really think Hughes would have gotten many AB in those few days before Blackburn comes back, and that he would have had solid ABs with average defense in that interim? I don't think so. I was really high on Hughes coming out of ST this year and last, and still wish we would have seen him get a couple back-to-back starts -- in order to really size up his skills. Yet, his defense really was not good when he played this year, and a utility IF should be at least average in the field. Good luck Luke, though I hope you get through waivers.

[jorgenswest]

Hughes skill set does not add much to a bench. Secondbasemen that can't play shortstop have to hit well enough to be the starter at 2B. If there is a team out there that can envision Hughes as their best option at 2B, he will be picked up. Does anyone see a fit?

[Jeremy Nygaard]

I would have have banked on a few other guys getting DFA'd off the big-league roster before Hughes, so this move was a little surprising.

 

Is it giving too much credit to the front office to think that maybe - knowing they were facing a move - they called some teams and found a trade partner for Luke Hughes? My first reaction upon hearing the news was that some NL team would love to have a (solid?) RH bat that can play 1B, 2B and 3B to utilize during double-switches. That team (or teams) might also feel he doesn't make it that far in the waiver process.

 

I'm not suggesting that the Twins are going to be able to pull a top-prospect (or even a good prospect) for Hughes, but there are a lot of formerly-drafted-by-the-Twins players out there... and we all know how the Twins love getting those guys eventually.

 

Is it possible? Who knows...

[jorgenswest]

I went through the rosters looking for players similar to Hughes that have found their way onto a bench. Looking for right handed batting 2B-3B-1B. Not very many. Jeff Baker and Justin Turner are couple of examples of players with similar skills sets that are a bench player this year. Jeff Baker has made a career of it. Justin Turner was a starter last year and has started two games this year. He has not been a bench player over his career.

 

Jeff Baker has made a career of it. Anyone else? Can Hughes hit well enough to have that career?

[stringer bell]

Color me meh on Luke Hughes. A year ago I would have been even less bothered but Hughes has actually grown on me in this past year. Besides, he signed a baseball for me in ST. Hughes is a utility bat--he isn't a great fielder anywhere, but I thought he was passable defensively as long as he hit. He hit a little last year, but struck out a lot. Analysts pointed out that he could hit the fastball but really struggled against off-speed and breaking stuff no matter what hand the pitcher was throwing out of. I suppose, in the end, Plouffe can do what Hughes can do and is a couple years younger. I wish Luke the best. I hope he stays in the Twins organization, but if he moves on, good luck to him.

[Mchans24]

Hughes has never stayed healthy or hit when he had chances. Not to mention his defense is TERRIBLE!! He deserves a fresh start somewhere. Burroughs is a great clubhouse guy, a good bat off bench and a phenomenal defensive player. Casilla is actually hitting the ball really well so I didn't see Dozier getting called up until they trade Willingham or Carrol at the trade deadline. Yes we will trade Willingham this year if we are out of contention at deadline, part of reason why they signed him. Hopefully they can get a power arm for him.

[stringer bell]

For those of you who'd rather have Blackburn on the 15 day DL and not expose Hughes, wouldn't that move just prolonging the inevitable and only by 10 days or so? Do you really think Hughes would have gotten many AB in those few days before Blackburn comes back, and that he would have had solid ABs with average defense in that interim? I don't think so. I was really high on Hughes coming out of ST this year and last, and still wish we would have seen him get a couple back-to-back starts -- in order to really size up his skills. Yet, his defense really was not good when he played this year, and a utility IF should be at least average in the field. Good luck Luke, though I hope you get through waivers.

If the Twins had DLed Blackburn, their rotation would be Pavano, Liriano, Swarzak, Hendriks, and Marquis and they now have seven guys in the bullpen. When Blackburn is ready to pitch (and if Perkins avoids the DL), they most likely move Swarzak back to the bullpen and send down a pitcher. So, when the pitching is clarified (barring more injuries) a pitcher will be demoted. That guy most likely is a reliever. Hughes DFA most likely does clear a spot on the 40-man roster, meaning that Dozier or anyone else not on the 40-man could be called up and placed on the 40-man.

[nokomismod]

If it was Hughes or Burroughs, I think the Twins made the right choice. Burroughs seems to have more poise and maturity, and will be able to handle pinch hitting and late game defensive spots.

[Riverbrian]

Crickey!!! I did not see this coming. Didn't expect Hughes being thrown on the barbie. Good luck to Hughes.

[Ultima Ratio]

If the Twins had DLed Blackburn, their rotation would be Pavano, Liriano, Swarzak, Hendriks, and Marquis and they now have seven guys in the bullpen. When Blackburn is ready to pitch (and if Perkins avoids the DL), they most likely move Swarzak back to the bullpen and send down a pitcher. So, when the pitching is clarified (barring more injuries) a pitcher will be demoted. That guy most likely is a reliever. Hughes DFA most likely does clear a spot on the 40-man roster, meaning that Dozier or anyone else not on the 40-man could be called up and placed on the 40-man.

I thought this situation through as well, though with Baker gone, Perkins questionable, Blackburn questionable, and already the possibility that we could pick up BP help on waivers -- and with Liriano draining the pen -- I think there is much greater need to keep arms up with the club, rather than Hughes. He'll get his shot one way or another, either now with another team, or after July 31st.

[spideyo]

I've been mulling it over tonight, and the thought occurred to me that keeping Plouffe, Burroughs, and Parmalee over Hughes may be more about boosting the trade value of the guys here.

 

Think about who we've got moving up through the system. Even if Plouffe can be "ok" in rf, he's not going to stay there long-term with Revere, Benson, Tosoni, Hicks, and others waiting in the wings. Morneau, Willingham, Mauer, and Doumit all could have a future as full-time DH'ers. The Twins have made it clear that they don't see him as an IF starter. At best, he's a backup on the Twins, but other teams could have space for him as a starter. You send him through waivers now, you get nothing. You give him a few months to show some hitting prowess and halfway decent defense, and maybe we can get some value from him in a trade.

 

If Burroughs plays well, he could platoon with Valencia, but I think it more likely that one of the two get traded. Same deal as with Plouffe, if you send him down now you get nothing, later on he or Valencia could garner something decent.

 

Just a thought

[Raven]

I think my favorite Hughes moment was a game last August when he whacked 2 run and 3 run homers against Detroit. If not Burroughs then it was definitely Hughes who was most likely to go bye bye in a situation like this. Personally, I'd sooner have seen Plouffe go down the road.

[whydidnt]

I don't think it was a great move from the standpoint that there are a few guys on the roster that I think are worse than Hughes, and i'm looking right at you Sean Burroughs and Jeff Gray. I also think it's unlikely that Hughes will ever amount to much as a major leaguer and losing him isn't the end of the world. However, it sure wouldn't surprise me if he ends up like Garrett Jones and pops up somewhere and belts 25 HRs out of the blue before fading into the background again.

[shawntheroad]

I'll miss Hughes: http://puckettspond.com/2012/04/18/thanks-luke-its-been-fun/

[Gernzy]

Suprised by this yes, but it makes sense. I know we'll make a move on a pitcher or two, but I really wonder who comes up. For all the people who are screaming Dozier!!!, trust me it won't be Dozier. He needs to start everyday and the way Carroll and Casilla are playing right now there is no reason for him to be here. He is not a bench player. I just can't think of who else it would be. Plouffe could play more in the infield and we could bring up another outfielder...but who? Revere also needs to play everyday, but there is no room for him in the OF right now.

 

Next few weeks will be interesting.

[twinsnorth49]

My favorite moment was this spring when he made me believe we could finally replace Alexi Casilla at 2nd base.

 

Damn you Spring Training, you wicked enchantress!!!

[TheMind07]

For the life of me I cannot figure out why anyone is upset by this move. The guy cannot hit anything offspeed and is a below average defensive player. He crushed in spring training because he got a steady diet of fastballs from pitchers who were working on locating their fastballs. What has the dude ever done to justify being an everyday player. Throw him sliders low and away and he will swing and miss everytime (maybe he learned this best from the beloved Cuddyer?)

[stringer bell]

For the life of me I cannot figure out why anyone is upset by this move. The guy cannot hit anything offspeed and is a below average defensive player. He crushed in spring training because he got a steady diet of fastballs from pitchers who were working on locating their fastballs. What has the dude ever done to justify being an everyday player. Throw him sliders low and away and he will swing and miss everytime (maybe he learned this best from the beloved Cuddyer?)

Luke could do worse than learn from Cuddy: .370 BA, 1.091 OPS, 2 homers, MLB leading 7 doubles.