LSU pitcher Thatcher Hurd hits the transfer portal

LSU’s opening day starting pitcher in 2024, Thatcher Hurd, has entered the transfer portal according to on3sports.com. Even before this news broke, there was a good chance Hurd would not be with the Tigers in 2025.

The right-hander from California is expected to be selected in this month’s Major League Baseball draft.

So why did Hurd put his name in the transfer portal, if he plans to pitch professionally next season?

As we know drafts are unpredictable and there’s no guarantee Hurd will get the signing bonus offer he’s seeking from the team that selects him.

Hurd can also use the transfer portal as leverage in negotiations; by telling a team he’ll just go back to college if the money he’s offered is not enough.

Hurd entered the portal with a do not contact tag, which means schools can not reach out to him.

So, this gives you an idea his intentions are for him to play professional baseball next season, but if it doesn’t work out, he may have a school already picked that he would like to attend.

Hurd will be remembered for his outstanding pitching during the 2023 postseason as the Tigers won the national championship. He was the winning pitcher on the day LSU beat Florida to win the title.

Hurd was also the winning pitcher in the Tigers dramatic 2-0 win in 11 innings over Wake Forest that put the Tigers in the championship series.

But Hurd also had his struggles. Despite an electric arm, there were two consecutive SEC weekends this past April that Hurd didn’t pitch, because Coach Jay Johnson didn’t trust him.

He finished the season strong well, with solid performance against North Carolina in the Chapel Hill Regional.