Blue Jays acquire Francisco Liriano from Pirates for Drew Hutchison

The Toronto Blue Jays have reportedly acquired Francisco Liriano, prospect Harold Ramirez, and Reese McGuire from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Blue Jays got the starting pitcher they’ve been looking for in a surprising move reported first by Knuckleball FRS reporter Robert Murray.

The Blue Jays will also be receiving a promising young outfield prospect from the Pirates, and going the other way is 25-year-old starting pitcher Drew Hutchison (first reported by Gideon Turk of BP Toronto).

In Liriano, the Blue Jays get a 32-year-old left hander who is in the midst of a down year after recording a sub 4.00 ERA in each of the past three seasons. He currently owns a 5.46 ERA and leads the majors in walks with 69. The success that Liriano has had in the past, particularly with former Pirates catcher Russell Martin, cannot be forgotten. In 33 starts with Martin behind the plate, Liriano has a 2.92 ERA and 1.191 WHIP.

While Pittsburgh appears to be high on Hutchison, a big part of the deal is likely the remaining contract owed to the southpaw. It may also have implications on the fait of Aaron Sanchez.

Hutchison leaves after an up and down tenure with the Blue Jays and a productive 2016 season in Triple-A Buffalo. Hutch registered a 3.26 ERA in 18 starts for the Bisons and recorded 110 strikeouts and 35 walks in 102 innings pitched. His presence as starting pitching depth will be replaced by Mike Bolsinger, who was acquired early today from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In addition to starting pitching depth, the Jays bring in a couple of young prospects, including a promising 21-year-old outfielder in Ramirez, who is currently ranked as the 9th best prospect in the Pirates system by MLB Pipeline. In 98 games in Double-A this season, the speedy outfield has a .306 batting average, .354 on-base percentage, seven triples, two home runs, and seven stolen bases.

Reese McGuire rounds out the package, a catcher who was selected 14th overall in the 2013 MLB Draft and is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the fifth-best catching prospect in all of baseball. Known primarily for his defensive abilities, McGuire is hitting .259 over 77 games with one home run.