In a fairly under-the-radar move, the Royals have signed former Met Philip Humber to a minor-league deal.
Since leaving the Mets in the Johan Santana trade, Humber has been underwhelming — both in AAA and in brief stints at the Major League level.
Personally I’m a bit sad that Humber hasn’t been able to “put it together”. I’ve liked him ever since we played together at Rice (oh wait, that was PAUL Janish).
Seriously though, I thought Humber had a good mechanics, a nice repertoire of pitches (including a plus curveball), and solid command, but might not have the right personality for New York. The more laid-back Minnesota seemed to be a perfect fit for the quiet Texan. But he’s been very hittable for the past two years while toiling for the Rochester Red Wings, allowing 280 hits and 36 homeruns in 256 innings. His curve remains big-league caliber, but he tends to spot the fastball too high in the zone. It’s surprising that he hasn’t been able to get more sink on the fastball.
Though it’s been a tough go for Humber, his career isn’t yet over. He’ll turn 27 next week, and there’s still time for him to “figure it out”. Maybe it’ll happen in Kansas City.
