According to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Jared Hughes have agreed to a one-year, $2.175 million deal, avoiding arbitration.
The Pirates now have three candidates left to try to strike deals in order to avoid arbitration: Francisco Cervelli, Mark Melancon, and Tony Watson. According to MLB Trade Rumors, those three players are projected to make $17.1 million in arbitration.
Hughes was projected to make $2.2 million by MLBTR, so the Pirates basically paid him what he was worth with this deal. He was entering his first year of arbitration eligibility, so he is still eligible for arbitration in 2017 and 2018.
Hughes was one of the underrated pieces of the Pirates’ bullpen over the past two seasons. In 2014, he pitched to a 1.96 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. He followed that up with a great 2015 in which he held a 2.28 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. He was about a one-win player in each of those seasons. He figures to be another vital piece of the Pirates’ pen in 2016 next to Watson and Melancon.
Make sure to follow all of the Pittsburgh Pirates arbitration news over at our 2016 arbitration tracker.
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