Yankees, Phil Hughes Sign 1-Year, $3.2M Deal

According to CAA Baseball, the agency for New York Yankees pitcher Phil Hughes, Hughes has reached a one year deal with the Yankees, effectively avoiding arbitration. The deal will be worth $3.2 million, a $500,000 raise from his 2011 season salary. The contract also carries some performance based incentives.

Last season Hughes made $2.7 million and had an ERA of 5.79. This is the second season where he was eligible for arbitration, and he has two more left before he becomes a free agent.

The Yankees recently bolstered their rotation with the additions of Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda, and also have CC Sabathia, Freddy Garcia and Ivan Nova. Hughes is expected to be in the rotation, but with a staff as deep as the Yankees now, him pitching out of the bullpen could be a possibility. He last pitched in the bullpen in 2009 when the Yankees won the World Series, and he was very successful in that role.