A large part of the Tampa Bay Rays’ success comes from the team’s ability to find and gain significant contributions from arms that are more or less on the fringe. In fact, it’s become basically a running joke within the industry that Tampa will outpitch all of its projections on a yearly basis, digging up hidden gems that go on to excel as part of a deep pitching staff. The most recent example of that trend is one Collin McHugh, who is now a free agent and a potentially interesting target.
A starter-turned-reliever who originally debuted in 2012 with the New York Mets, McHugh bounced around without much action in the big leagues until he burst onto the scene in 2014 as a key member of the Astros rotation, finishing fourth in Rookie of the Year voting.