The Royals have avoided arbitration with right-hander Luke Hochevar by agreeing to a one-year, $5.21MM contract, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Hochevar can earn an additional $400K based on incentives for games started or games finished.
Hochevar was eligible for arbitration for the final time this offseason and will be a free agent at season's end. He broke out as a setup man for the Royals in 2013, so while his contract has incentives for games started, his best path to future success could be in the bullpen. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz had projected the former No. 1 overall draft pick to earn $5MM.
That’s starter money right there. If he can do what he did in the pen last year in the rotation, I am completely happy with this payday.
What on earth gives you the idea that’s realistic?
Maybe because Dayton and Ned both said he is going to get a shot at starting in spring training. That could be what gave me that thought.
I have no doubts management is silly enough to try it. You, like them, will be disappointed if you think last year’s success can be replicated in the rotation.
My prediction is that Hoch is going to be the 5th starter out of Spring Training so that Ventura can stay in Omaha a little longer and not start his clock. Wade Davis is the one I want to see get traded. Davis is going to get really expensive after this year.
He’s been a bad starter for years. One good year of mostly low leverage relief doesn’t overwrite his terrible history as a starter.
I wonder what Hochevar’s open market value would be. He’s clearly a bad starter, but he might be growing into a solid set-up guy or even a closer. He’s an intriguing guy at this point in his career, but I’m not sure he’s worth $5 Million plus to the Royals. Even relievers with stronger track records seem to be having a hard time scoring big contracts in the current market.
I don’t understand this guy. Maybe someone can help me. Calling him a “terrible starter” is an insult to starters who are terrible. Somehow he manages to blow everyone away out of the ‘pen. Different mentality as a reliever? Trying to earn a spot back in the rotation? Did he figure it out maybe?
He’s always been generally solid once through a lineup. He’s never had the plus pitches or location to
avoid a big inning. The Royals have moved his first few innings as a starter to the pen. I wouldn’t have been surprised to have seen them deal Holland and put him in the closer role.