The Chicago Cubs are no strangers to signing reclamation projects and that's the case with former second over all pick Danny Hultzen.
The left-handed pitcher was taken second in the 2011 MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners. However, because of two major shoulder surgeries the 28-year-old has never made it to the major-league level. Hultzen hasn't pitched since 2016, and is now trying to make a comeback. The Cubs are giving him that chance, signing him to a deal according to the Chicago Tribune.
Hultzen had an incredible college career at Virginia, winning freshman of the year, then pitcher of the year and finally the John Olerud Award, which is given to the best two-way player in college. The Mariners drafted him second, behind Gerrit Cole and he immediately signed a five-year, $8.5 million deal that included a signing bonus of $6.35 million.
The lefty had a 3.05 ERA in 124 innings in the minors in 2012, but unfortunately a shoulder injury made him miss almost all of 2013. He had surgery to repair a torn labrum and rotator cuff that kept him out of action for all of 2014. Since then, Hultzen has only pitched in 10 innings and in 2017 he didn't pitch at all, as he went back to Virginia to finish his college degree.
The starting pitcher has a lot of arms ahead of him in the Cubs organization and the chance he ever sees time in the big leagues with them are slim. Yet, there's no doubt he has the talent, as he was also drafted out of high school in 2008 from the Arizona Diamondbacks before electing to go to college instead of signing right away. Before 2012, Hultzen was ranked as high as the No. 16 prospect in MLB.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcOMxeGu3oM
Will Hultzen be able to stay healthy? That's obviously the big question and with no risk involved the Cubs will certainly wait to find out the answer.
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