Pirates To Sign Francisco Liriano

[torts]

Pirates To Sign Francisco Liriano

By Ben Nicholson-Smith [December 21 at 9:38am CST]

 

The Pirates have agreed to sign free agent left-hander Francisco Liriano to a two-year, $14MM contract, La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports. The deal will be finalized once the Legacy Sports Group client passes a physical.

 

Liriano pitched for the Twins and White Sox this past season, posting a 5.34 ERA with 9.6 K/9, 5.0 BB/9 and a 43.8% ground ball rate in 156 2/3 innings. It marked the second consecutive season that Liriano pitched to an ERA above 5.00 while walking 5.0 batters per nine innings. His last standout season came in 2010, when he posted a 3.62 ERA with 9.4 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9, generating some Cy Young votes.

 

However, as a hard-throwing 29-year-old left-hander (his fastball averaged 93 mph in 2012) with a history of success at the MLB level, Liriano was definitely going to draw interest as a free agent. The Mets and Twins were also linked to him this offseason.

[Ennder]

Nice move. I personally think his days as a good pitcher are over but if he finds the magic elixir and gives the Pirates a true top end starter it does wonders for that team.

[JohnBriggs12]

If the Brewers were going to sign a FA, Liriano was at or near the top of my list. When he's right, he can be very, very good and I would have taken that gamble that he'd do it enough to justify a fairly modest deal by starting pitcher standards.

 

The other guy I liked was McCarthy, and he's taken now too.

[fondybrewfan]

This is going to be a boom or bust pick up for them. Best case is probably like a 3.5 ERA type pitcher; worst case is probably really really bad and a complete waste of $14 Million. The K/9 is pretty nice but that walk rate is horrendous; his reputation still seems to be bloated due to the fantastic 2006. He has been pretty mediocre if slightly above average since. I guess $7 Million a year probably buys league average nowadays.

[monty57]

Well, if there's a park for a LHP to "get things straightened out," it's PNC.

[RWeeksFan23]

One of the most overrated pitchers in MLB. He's basically Manny Parra and he gets 14 million dollars....

[Ennder]

One of the most overrated pitchers in MLB. He's basically Manny Parra and he gets 14 million dollars....

 

It is hard to give up the dream of talent for organizations even when injuries derail that talent, especially when the players get back the velocity but not the control/movement. Parra was never the same after his injuries and Liriano has never been the same either.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I remember back in 2011, he had an AWFUL start to the season, and then out of nowhere, he threw that no hitter, but even the no hitter was kind of.......ugly. 2 K's, 6 walks. There was a newspaper that had the headline "LIRIANO CONTINUES TO STRUGGLE, THROWS NO-HITTER"

[Ennder]

http://triblive.com/sports/pirates/3260169-74/liriano-pirates-agent#axzz2HRcSqguX

 

The Pirates‘ plan to sign free-agent left-hander Francisco Liriano was put on hold — perhaps permanently — when the pitcher injured his right arm sometime around Christmas.

 

 

 

Maybe they'll sign Lohse now!

[Bombers]

I see Liriano is on the mound today for the Bucs. This has turned out to be a good signing for them - this far

[trwi7]

He's been fantastic this year. The strikeouts are up (though not what they were when he was dominant back in 2005 and 2006) and the walks are way down (again not like 2005 and 2006).

 

His season so far reminds me a lot of his 2010 season. Fantastic signing by the Pirates.

[torts]

I think his injury and start in the minors this season helped him get back in form for his return to the rotation. there was no real rush to bring him back, he's in a really good position right now.

[JohnBriggs12]

I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. The comparisons of Liriano to Parra were ridiculous. In his worst seasons, Liriano allowed fewer hits than innings. In his best season Parra allowed 181 hits in 166 innings. Parra has never recorded a WHIP under 1.5.

 

Liriano is getting paid $1 million this year. He's likely going to cost them $8 million next year. Not bad return for 2 years, $9 million. He was the perfect low risk, high reward guy out there. That kind of opportunity doesn't come around too often. The Brewers, as is their custom, opted to pay a premium for what they considered a low risk.

[homer]

I hate to say I told you so.

 

No you don't.

[JohnBriggs12]

I hate to say I told you so.

 

No you don't.

 

Ok, you got me! Still, the satisfaction I get out of being right on the money on Liriano, is more than offset by disgust that the Brewers didn't seem interested in him. Maybe they were, and he just preferred the Bucs, who knows? But for me, it wasn't a tough call. Despite his less than stellar numbers the last few years, he would occasionally toss in an absolute gem. So the ability was still there. It was a reasonable risk well worth taking.