
Francisco Liriano- Pittsburgh Pirates
As I was working on this piece, word broke that the Pittsburgh Pirates had signed former Blue Jays southpaw Francisco Liriano to a minor-league deal. It appears the deal is worth $1.8 million including another $1.5 million in incentives if Liriano makes the team.
The Blue Jays had acquired Liriano from the Pirates back in the summer of 2016 along with Harold Ramirez and Reese McGuire for pitcher Drew Hutchison. The lefty spent parts of two seasons with the Jays before they dealt Liriano to the Astros for Teoscar Hernandez and Nori Aoki.
During his stint in Toronto, Liriano went 8-7 with a 4.77 earned run average in 28 games with the Blue Jays. The hurler also made two relief appearances for the Jays in the 2016 postseason. The veteran owns a career 107-111 record with a 4.18 earned run average and a 17.2 WAR thus far in his thirteen-year career.
Last season, Liriano went 5-12 with the lowly Detroit Tigers accumulating a 4.58 earned run average in 27 games. The 35-year old is hopeful a return to a familiar stomping ground can rejuvenate and extend his dwindling career.