Sox sign Collin McHugh

simplicio

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He's pitched 63-74 innings the last three years, are we thinking of him as a regular starter for part of the season, or a 3 innings every 3 days guy?
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
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Oct 31, 2013
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Love this move. Won 19 games in 2015. Career K/BB above 3. And a very good fielder.

Hope he's the 5th starter, and not a reliever, unless he's the first reliever after the opener, bulk? Probably should be 4 instead of Perez. Low cost
He needs to be stretched out though. Last 2 years was a reliever.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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Oct 1, 2015
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I'm quite pleased with this move. I mean, he's not great (or he'd be signed by someone long before now), but he's solid. Last 6 seasons:

58-35, 3.63 era, 110 era+, 3.59 fip, 1.22 whip, 8.9 k/9

Averages nearly 4 innings per outing. 110 games started out of 195 total games pitched. I don't think we should expect 1999 Pedro here, obviously, but he's a pretty decent MLB pitcher. Nice little pickup here.

And just for fun...

Price (2017-2019): 3.75 era, 122 era+, 3.82 fip, 1.20 whip, 9.6 k/9
McHugh (2017-2019): 3.42 era, 126 era+, 3.66 fip, 1.14 whip, 10.2 k/9
 

chawson

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Aug 1, 2006
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Wow, excellent move. Surprised no one else nabbed him if his cost was under $1m. Hope he's healthy.

He's another guy who, like Martin Perez, is really good at suppressing hard contact.
 

Twilight

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Nov 17, 2006
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I like this signing too. League average reliever last year and excellent the year before. If he could start or be a bulk guy so much the better, but seems like a relatively high floor.

Incidentally, how does one finish 18 games and not end up with a single save (2018)? He had a 1.99 ERA for the year, so he probably wasn't on mop-up duty. Only one blown save, too.
 

curly2

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Jul 8, 2003
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And just for fun...

Price (2017-2019): 3.75 era, 122 era+, 3.82 fip, 1.20 whip, 9.6 k/9
McHugh (2017-2019): 3.42 era, 126 era+, 3.66 fip, 1.14 whip, 10.2 k/9
That's REALLY skewed toward his numbers as a reliever.
 

Mueller's Twin Grannies

critical thinker
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Dec 19, 2009
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Is this the Sale insurance or will they do plug-and-play with relievers until he comes back from his illness/injury/whatever?
 

Philip Jeff Frye

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Oct 23, 2001
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Is this the Sale insurance or will they do plug-and-play with relievers until he comes back from his illness/injury/whatever?
This team was already short of decent arms before Sale got hurt. I can't imagine they were saying "We're not going to give McHugh a few hundred thousand dollars" before the Sale news.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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Oct 1, 2015
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That's REALLY skewed toward his numbers as a reliever.
No doubt, but that's true for most pitchers (i.e., most are better as relievers than as starters). Here's McHugh's career splits:

Starter: 4.14 era, 1.28 whip, 8.3 k/9
Reliever: 2.76 era, 1.10 whip, 11.0 k/9

I'll happily take a 4.14 era, 1.28 whip, 8.3 k/9 starter for that money, won't you?
 

vadertime

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Jul 31, 2006
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Don't like dfa of Velasquez. Keep your depth. Put Sale on the 60 day il. It's already looking inevitable that even without surgery he's missing the first couple months.
 

Savin Hillbilly

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Jul 10, 2007
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The wrong side of the bridge....
Wow, excellent move. Surprised no one else nabbed him if his cost was under $1m. Hope he's healthy.
He's been dealing with elbow issues of his own, and only started throwing in the past week or so. Teams (including us) were probably waiting to see how that went. Evidently OK, but it looks like he won't be ready to go right out of the gate from what I'm reading.

He's another guy who, like Martin Perez, is really good at suppressing hard contact.
Yup. He slipped on that front last year, but before that had five straight years with HR/FB under 12.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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Oct 1, 2015
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McHugh's numbers from 2014-2017:

102 g, 102 starts, 48-28, 3.70 era, 3.60 fip, 106 era+, 1.25 whip, 8.4 k/9

I'd be THRILLED with that this year.
 

Savin Hillbilly

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Jul 10, 2007
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The wrong side of the bridge....
Don't like dfa of Velasquez. Keep your depth. Put Sale on the 60 day il. It's already looking inevitable that even without surgery he's missing the first couple months.
Putting Sale on the 60-day would be a pretty extreme move since they don't really know yet how bad his problem is. Velasquez is a commodity-quality pitcher; he's not the kind of depth you worry about losing.
 

Yelling At Clouds

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Jul 19, 2005
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Putting Sale on the 60-day would be a pretty extreme move since they don't really know yet how bad his problem is. Velasquez is a commodity-quality pitcher; he's not the kind of depth you worry about losing.
I believe you can’t put anyone on any IL until the season starts.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
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Oct 1, 2015
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2014-2016. 4 seasons ago.
No, 2014-2017. And yes, a few years ago. But that's the last time he was a regular starter.

In 2019, here were his starts:

5.0 ip, 3 h, 2 r, 2 er, 1 bb, 9 k
6.0 ip, 3 h, 1 r, 1 er, 3 bb, 4 k
6.0 ip, 4 h, 2 r, 2 er, 1 bb, 9 k
6.0 ip, 2 h, 0 r, 0 er, 2 bb, 5 k
3.1 ip, 8 h, 10 r, 9 er, 1 bb, 1 k
5.2 ip, 4 h, 3 r, 3 er, 2 bb, 9 k
6.0 ip, 5 h, 4 r, 4 er, 1 bb, 2 k
3.0 ip, 7 h, 8 r, 8 er, 3 bb, 3 k

So two disasters, two so-so starts, and 4 good ones.
 

oumbi

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Jun 15, 2006
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No, 2014-2017. And yes, a few years ago. But that's the last time he was a regular starter.

In 2019, here were his starts:

5.0 ip, 3 h, 2 r, 2 er, 1 bb, 9 k
6.0 ip, 3 h, 1 r, 1 er, 3 bb, 4 k
6.0 ip, 4 h, 2 r, 2 er, 1 bb, 9 k
6.0 ip, 2 h, 0 r, 0 er, 2 bb, 5 k
3.1 ip, 8 h, 10 r, 9 er, 1 bb, 1 k
5.2 ip, 4 h, 3 r, 3 er, 2 bb, 9 k
6.0 ip, 5 h, 4 r, 4 er, 1 bb, 2 k
3.0 ip, 7 h, 8 r, 8 er, 3 bb, 3 k

So two disasters, two so-so starts, and 4 good ones.
And almost 5 innings per start. I like this signing by Chaim.
 

curly2

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No doubt, but that's true for most pitchers (i.e., most are better as relievers than as starters). Here's McHugh's career splits:

Starter: 4.14 era, 1.28 whip, 8.3 k/9
Reliever: 2.76 era, 1.10 whip, 11.0 k/9

I'll happily take a 4.14 era, 1.28 whip, 8.3 k/9 starter for that money, won't you?
Absolutely. But it's been a while since he's been an effective starter. It's a good, no-risk signing, just pointing out comparing his number and Price's is apples and oranges.
 

The Gray Eagle

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Aug 1, 2001
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Velasquez is a commodity-quality pitcher; he's not the kind of depth you worry about losing.
We have worse dreck on the 40-man. I'd rather keep Velazquez, who was good in 2018, over most of these guys: Matt Hall, Phillips Valdez, Jeffrey Springs, Osich, Brice, or Shawaryn.

I like signing McHugh, good pickup.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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But that's a carryover from last year. I think DD is right that the rules don't allow a player to be placed on any of the ILs during the offseason.
That's not a carryover from last year. There is no IL in the off-season. No one can be on it, including guys like Pedroia who end the season there. They announced last week that Pedroia was going on the 60-day IL. I'm unsure of that means it will happen the first day it's allowed (say, a week before Opening Day or something) or if it is an immediate move.

Velazquez may be another guy, like Brian Johnson, who will clear waivers and they can outright to Pawtucket. He may never actually leave camp.
 

OurF'ingCity

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The Sox' slow transformation into the Rays takes another step forward. (Not really saying that's a bad thing given that the Rays won 96 games last year.)
 

Cesar Crespo

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Dec 22, 2002
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Absolutely. But it's been a while since he's been an effective starter. It's a good, no-risk signing, just pointing out comparing his number and Price's is apples and oranges.
Considering the amount he signed for, I'm not sure why people are assuming that will be his role especially since he was close to dominate in his time as a bullpen arm. If he's having a good year and the Sox are out of it, he'd probably get an ok return at the deadline too.

He does make some sense as an opener since the Sox should have a pretty good bullpen, at least on paper.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Since I hate /9 stats with a passion...
McHugh as starter: 21.8% K%, 6.6% BB%, 2.8% HR%, .259/.314/.418
McHugh as reliever: 29.8% K%, 8.4% BB%, 2.4% HR% .206/.284/.348

Overall Splits (no idea how to get splits as reliever/starter)
vs RHB: .250/.304/.410, 1710 PA
vs LHB: .253/.316/.407, 1659 PA
 

shaggydog2000

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Apr 5, 2007
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Considering the amount he signed for, I'm not sure why people are assuming that will be his role especially since he was close to dominate in his time as a bullpen arm. If he's having a good year and the Sox are out of it, he'd probably get an ok return at the deadline too.

He does make some sense as an opener since the Sox should have a pretty good bullpen, at least on paper.
I think coming off an arm injury after years of use as a reliever would make it pretty unlikely he'd be built up in just a few weeks to be a starter. But they can use all the arms they can get, and cheap ones are the ones they can sign. He seems like a decent gamble.
 

Cesar Crespo

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Dec 22, 2002
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If McHugh was available this cheaply I can’t imagine someone claiming HV
He's not really any different than Brian Johnson (or Denyi Reyes) and they both passed through waivers. HV is pretty much the definition of easily replaceable talent.
 

Savin Hillbilly

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The wrong side of the bridge....
That's not a carryover from last year. There is no IL in the off-season. No one can be on it, including guys like Pedroia who end the season there. They announced last week that Pedroia was going on the 60-day IL. I'm unsure of that means it will happen the first day it's allowed (say, a week before Opening Day or something) or if it is an immediate move.
Thanks for clarifying.
 

Savin Hillbilly

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The wrong side of the bridge....
I think coming off an arm injury after years of use as a reliever would make it pretty unlikely he'd be built up in just a few weeks to be a starter. But they can use all the arms they can get, and cheap ones are the ones they can sign. He seems like a decent gamble.
He was a full-time starter until 2018, and started 2019 as one. I think his recent history does argue against him being slotted in as a regular rotation guy, but he's certainly got plenty of history, including recent history, in both roles.
 

shaggydog2000

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He was a full-time starter until 2018, and started 2019 as one. I think his recent history does argue against him being slotted in as a regular rotation guy, but he's certainly got plenty of history, including recent history, in both roles.
He had zero games started in 2018. He was a full time starter in 2017, but only stared 12 games. With a quick glance I had assumed he was relieving part of that year, but I guess he was just a starter and then injured. He started 8 of 35 games last year and got injured. I think with him currently just starting coming back from an injury and starting training camp late because of it, and getting injured in years when he's been asked to start over the last 3 years, reliever is the only possible option for him this season.