Phil Hughes to sign with Twins

The Twins and right-handed starter Phil Hughes have agreed to a 3-year, $24 million contract, according to LaVelle Neal of the Star Tribune. The deal is expected to be announced sometime in the next week, pending a physical. Hughes has spent his entire career with the New York Yankees since being drafted in the first round of the 2004 draft. 

Hughes, 27, went 4-14 with a 5.19 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP in 2013. Although those numbers weren't great, Hughes was somewhat unlucky during the 2013 campaign; hitters posted a .324 BABIP against the starter. Hughes' best year was in 2010, when he went 18-8 with a 4.19 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. Now a signee of the Twins, expect Hughes' ERA to drop, as he is a fly ball pitcher (46% of balls in play were fly balls) and Target Field in Minneapolis is a pitchers park. It's much better than compared to Hughes' former home, Yankees Stadium. Hughes' career ERA on the road (4.10) is actually better than the ERA he posts at home (4.96). At Target Field, Hughes is 2-1 with a 2.53 ERA over his seven big league seasons. 

The Twins really have been trying to boost their pitching staff, as the 5.26 ERA their starters posted in 2013 ranked last in the Major Leagues. With Phil Hughes to go along with other signee Ricky Nolasco, the Twins rotation immediately becomes better than it was in 2013. The Twins have done a good job attacking their main problem, and trying to make it a strength by the time they come to 2014. Expect Hughes to join a rotation with Kevin Corriea, Ricky Nolasco, and perhaps prospect Kyle Gibson.