To make room for newly acquired pitcher Jeff Francis, the Royals have designated Dusty Hughes for assignment. Hughes, a pitcher, has been in the Royals organization since 2003 when he was drafted in the 11th round from Delta State University. A rookie last season, Hughes played in 57 games out of the bullpen, sporting a 1-3 record with a 3.83 ERA and producing a WAR of 0.4.
The fact Kansas City designated a relief pitcher for assignment was no surprise to me, however the person being Dusty Hughes was a mild surprise. Many had pegged Henry Barrera or Kevin Pucetas as likely candidates instead. Barrera has never pitched above AA, meanwhile Pucetas had a 5.69 ERA in AAA last season. Neither has appeared in a major league game.