All We Are Saying, Is Give Drew Hutchison A Chance

Sep 10, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Drew Hutchison (34) delivers a pitch against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Drew Hutchison (34) delivers a pitch against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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As John Lennon once famously said ‘give peace a chance,’ now I am here to tell Pittsburgh Pirates’ fans ‘give Drew Hutchison a chance.’

Everybody’s talking ’bout
Cheapism, Nuttinginsm, collapsism, this-sim, that-ism, Hoka Hey
All we are saying, is give Drew Hutchison a chance.

On August 1st the Pittsburgh Pirates swung a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays. In this trade the Pirates sent the Blue Jays Francisco Liriano, Reese McGuire, and Harold Ramirez. In return the Pirates received right-handed pitcher Drew Hutchison.

From the second the Pirates traded for Hutchison most of the fan base immediately hated him. Why is that you may ask? Well, because most fans were mad at the Pirates for trading arguably the worst starting pitcher in the National League and two downward trending prospects.

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This probably sounds like madness to anyone reading this that is not a Pirate fan. However, Pirate fans hate their favorite teams front office. In the opinions of many fans, every move the Pirates make is due to them being cheap and not caring. Therefore, they immediately hate and dismiss every move.

Contrary to what many Pirate fans believe, Drew Hutchison has all the tools needed to be a good Major League pitcher. He limits hard contact, he throws a wipe out slider, and he throws a plus change up as well. Giving him a full offseason/Spring Training to work with Ray Searage will not hurt either.

Moving forward, Drew Hutchison can be a big part of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is controlled through 2019 and brings a skill set that can succeed. Furthermore, his projections for 2017 are very encouraging.

According to FanGraphs, Hutchison is projected to have a strong 2017 campaign. Steamer projections on FanGraphs have Hutchison averaging 8.25 K/9, 2.63 BB/9, 1.04 HR/9, and a 42 percent ground ball rate in 2017. Additionally, they project him to own a 3.96 ERA and a 3.88 FIP.

For comparison, let’s look at the pitcher Drew Hutchison was traded for. This pitcher is Francisco Liriano. Coming off the worst season of his career, Liriano is projected to have a worse season than Hutchison in 2017. Liriano is projected to average 4.69 BB/9 and 1.44 HR/9 in 2017. Additionally, his projected FIP (4.01) is higher than Hutchison’s.

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Due to all of this, I am just saying, please, give Hutch a chance. In the end, Hutchison will be a Pirate in 2017. And he can help the Pirates in 2017. Just give him a chance, please?