September 20, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Francisco Liriano (58) delivers a pitch during the first inning of the game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported that if Liriano’s option year vests at $5 mil or $6 mil, he can earn the difference between that and the full $8 mil based on games started in 2014. Not a bad deal for an injury prone pitcher, but a pitcher that used to have some of the nastiest stuff we have ever seen. Luckily for Liriano, the injury he had was to his right arm (non throwing) and not his left.

Liriano split his 2012 season between the Twins and White Sox as Minnesota traded him to the divisional rival White Sox shortly before the trade deadline. He put up a 5.34 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 in 156 2/3 innings. It was the second consecutive season in which he posted an ERA greater than 5.

The former top prospect will join a nice rotation featuring A.J. Burnett, Wandy Rodriguez and James McDonald for a very young and talented Pittsburgh team that plays in a very winnable NL Central. SP, Vin Mazzaro was outrighted to AAA Inidnapolis to make room for Liriano on the active roster.

(Image Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports)

The 29 year old Liriano made 34 appearances (28 GS) and threw 156.2 innings on the 2012 season, posting an overall record of 6-12 with a 5.34 ERA, 9.6 K/9, and a career high 5.0 BB/9. He was traded midseason from the Minnesota Twins, the only organization he had known in his career, to the Chicago White Sox.

Liriano had been expected to join a starting rotation in Pittsburgh that includes A.J. Burnett, James McDonald, and Wandy Rodriguez – a trio that went a combined 33-22 during the 2012 season. His injury, and the potential that a deal is now not completed between the sides, casts significant doubt on the backend of the Pirates rotation with Spring Training just about a month away. Rookies Kyle McPherson and Jeff Locke would appear to be the front runners among the team’s internal candidates, which is unquestionably a limited group. Charlie Morton is still recovering from Tommy John surgery and will not be ready until midseason. Top prospect Gerrit Cole could be an option, but there is a strong sentiment within the organization to start him back at Triple-A to begin the season.

It is unclear if Pittsburgh will look at any of the remaining free agent options (including Joe Saunders, Shaun Marcum, Jair Jurrjens, and others) should they elect to move on from Liriano.

Liriano allowed a WHIP of 1.48 over the last two seasons. Image: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Liriano just turned 29 years old and still throws hard, so there is reason to think he can once again become an effective starting pitcher. He struggled greatly with control issues over the past two seasons, walking five batters per nine innings in each campaign. That was a significant jump from the 2010 season, where he walked just 2.7 batters per nine innings.

2010 was the last time Liriano was effective, posting a 14-10 record and 3.62 ERA. In the two years since then, Liriano has pitched to ERAs of 5.09 and 5.34 while going 15-22 in 60 appearances (52 starts). Last season, Liriano still struck out better than a batter per inning for the season, split between Minnesota and the Chicago White Sox.

The Twins traded Liriano at the deadline last year, but were involved in talks to bring him back to the organization he called home for the first six-and-a-half years of his big league career. Instead, talks with the southpaw went the wrond direction and Liriano drew interest from a handful of other clubs, most notably the New York Mets.

By adding the second year on the contract, the Pirates take a significant gamble that Liriano can harness his recent wildness and once again be one of the most electrifying lefties in the game. But it probably took getting the second year to get him to sign with the Pirates.

Pittsburgh will give Liriano every opportunity to start and join a rotation that includes A.J. Burnett and Wandy Rodriguez. The Bucs finished 2012 at 79-83, marking the 19th straight losing season for the Pirates.

Liriano has been disappointing since joining the Sox. Image: Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE

The man who was originally slated to get the ball on Wednesday is southpaw Francisco Liriano, but pitching coach Don Cooper indicated that this isn’t a case of bumping Liriano back a few days or skipping a start; instead, he is expected to be readily available in relief during the series with Detroit. If it works out that he is rested afterward, Liriano may return to the rotation, but that much seems far from certain.

Chicago picked up Liriano just before the non-waiver trade deadline when their overtures to land a top-tier starter were rebuffed. They settled instead for a guy the Twins figured to non-tender after the season, despite the no-hitter he tossed earlier this year. Control issues have plagued Liriano throughout his career and they continue to haunt him on the Southside, where he has walked 15 batters in his last 14 innings.

Liriano stands at 5-11 with an ERA of 5.25 in 30 games (25 starts) between two clubs this season. His ERA in eight starts with Chicago is a bit better at 5.09, but his WHIP stands at better than 1.6 and his walks have jumped to six per nine innings; the highest mark of his career. Liriano still has excellent strikeout rates, but he has not been able to consistently out-pitch his wildness this year.

Floyd has made 24 starts this season, posting a 9-9 record and 4.55 ERA. He also leads the league with 14 hit batsmen despite working only 138 innings thus far. Floys is 7-2 with a 3.42 ERA in seven career starts versus the Tigers.

For more on Robin Ventura’s bunch, visit Southside Showdown.

Francisco Liriano was pulled from his start yesterday with cramping associated with a contusion on his right quad. (Dennis Wierzbicki-US PRESSWIRE)

quad contusion.  He was hit in the quad earlier in the game, and the contusion had begun to limit Liriano’s ability to field.  The contusion was suffered in the fifth inning when Liriano was struck by a ground bal hit by Maicer Izturis.

White Sox manager, Robin Ventura, does not think the injury is serious.  The ball struck Liriano in the muscle portion of his leg, not the bone.  Liriano was simply showing signs of discomfort and Ventura thought it best to remove him from the game.  Both Ventura and Liriano think he will be good to go for his next start.

“I was really sore and cramping a little bit,” Liriano said. “I think I’ll be OK for my next start.”

Liriano has pitched well for the White Sox since being traded by the Twins.  In two starts for the Southsiders, Liriano has a 2.45 ERA.  He has yet to earn a decision, but he has helped the White Sox maintain their first place lead over the Detroit Tigers.  While Liriano struggled with the Twins, he has managed to keep the ball in the ballpark better.  Liriano was nearing a one home run per game average with the Twins.  He’s yet to give one up while with the White Sox.

Los Angeles Angels 6, Texas Rangers 2

The Angels have improved themselves greatly by adding Zack Greinke to their rotation and now they have beaten the rival Rangers once again. Tuesday’s hero was Albert Pujols, who clubbed a pair of solo home runs to help down the Texas squad. Jered Weaver put up a quality start that looked even better for a while, as he held the opponent hitless through five innings. Mike Trout hit his 18th home run of the season (10 of which have come in July) and David Murphy drove in both of the runs the Rangers scored. The Angels are now just three games back of the division lead.

Albert decided it was time to hit the ball over the fence at will on Tuesday. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-US PRESSWIRE

Baltimore Orioles 11, New York Yankees 5

The Yankees scored all five of their runs in the bottom of the first inning, but the Orioles charged back to score seven in the top of the second. Chris Davis hit a grand slam, while teammate Nick Markakis went 3-5 with a home run and two RBI. A two-run homer by Robinson Cano was a big part of the New York scoring outburst in the first frame.

Boston Red Sox 4, Detroit Tigers 1

The Red Sox won this weather-shortened game thanks to solid work from the pitching staff. Josh Beckett, Clayton Mortensen, and Franklin Morales combined to allow just one run in 5 2/3 innings despite walking six batters. Jacoby Ellsbury, Carl Crawford, and Pedro Ciriaco each drove in runs for the Red Sox. Miguel Cabrera plated the only Detroit run.

Kansas City Royals 8, Cleveland Indians 3

Luke Hochevar pitched a quality start and got help from unlikely sources in the win. Alcides Escobar went 2-4 with three RBI, while Chris Getz drove in two and Jarrod Dyson had three hits. Alex Gordon, a much more expected hero, also had three hits in the game.

Chicago White Sox 4, Minnesota Twins 3

An A.J. Pierzynski solo home run in the top of the ninth wound up being the difference as the White Sox edged the Twins. Francisco Liraino faced his former team for the first time since being traded and fared well. The lefty struck out eight and allowed just two runs in six innings of work. Denard Span had four hits for the Twins and Nick Blackburn went eight strong innings.

Tampa Bay Rays 8, Oakland Athletics 0

James Shields never got traded and that seems to be a good thing for the Rays. Shields fired a complete game shutout, allowed just three hits, didn’t walk a man, and struck out 11. B.J. Upton drove in a pair of runs and Sam Fuld had three hits.

Seattle Mariners 7, Toronto Blue Jays 2

Jason Vargas only allowed two runs in seven innings of work and benefited from a home run and three RBI courtesy of Dustin Ackley. Brendan Ryan had a three hit game for Seattle; the effort boosts his batting average to a still sickly .205. Brett Lawrie drove in both Toronto runs.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Philadelphia Phillies 8, Washington Nationals 0

The Phillies have dealt away a large chunk of their Major League talent, but that didn’t stop them from upending Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg for an easy win. Jimmy Rollins belted a two-run homer, while Juan Pierre had three hits of his own. No Washington players were able to accumulate multiple hits in the contest. Cliff Lee went seven shutout innings and struck out seven; he seems like the only Phillie who didn’t find himself in a new uniform this week.

Atlanta Braves 7, Miami Marlins 1

The Braves jumped out to a quick lead and never looked back. Juan Francisco had three hits, while Brian McCann hit a home run and drove in two runs. Donnie Murphy (there are far too many baseball players named D. Murphy) hit a solo home run in the first inning for Miami.

Cincinnati Reds 7, San Diego Padres 6

Homer Bailey and Jason Marquis both got crushed early on, as the game was quickly tied at six and stayed that way until Brandon Phillips hit the eventual game-winning solo homer in the seventh. Ryan Ludwick and Todd Frazier each also went deep for Cincinnati, while Cameron Maybin cleared the fence for San Diego.

Pittsburgh Pirates 5, Chicago Cubs 0

A.J. Burnett shut out the new-look Cubs with a complete game effort featuring eight strikeouts and just one base hit. Neil Walker hit a grand slam in the first inning, while outfielder Andrew McCutchen chimed in with his usual three hits. Pinch hitter Adrian Cardenas was the only Cub to get a hit off Burnett.

Milwaukee Brewers 10, Houston Astros 1

Yovani Gallardo pitched seven great innings and let his offense tee off on every Houston pitcher who entered the game. Aramis Ramirez went 3-4 with four RBI and a home run to lead the offensive attack. Corey Hart also homered and drove in three runs for Milwaukee.

St. Louis Cardinals 11, Colorado Rockies 6

The Cardinals had to fight the Rockies hard to get this win, but five late runs helped seal the deal. Carlos Beltran, Matt Holliday, and David Freese all homered and had multi-hit games. Allen Craig got into the act as well by reaching base all five trips and driving in three runs. Josh Rutledge hit a home run and drove in three for Colorado.

Arizona Diamondbacks 8, Los Angeles Dodgers 2

The Dodgers may have won at the trading deadline, but they didn’t win this baseball game. This loss puts them a game behind the Giants and just 2 1/2 up on the D-Backs. Paul Goldschmidt homered and had three hits, Miguel Montero had a three-run shot of his own, and Chris Johnson provided a three hit game. Wade Miley went eight innings and allowed one run while striking out seven.

San Francisco Giants 4, New York Mets 1

Vintage Tim Lincecum showed up to help his team reclaim sole possession of first place in the NL West Tuesday. The Freak struck out seven and allowed one run in seven innings of work. The newly-acquired Marco Scutaro went 2-3 with a walk, a run scored, and one RBI in the victory.

If Brian’s writing strikes your fancy, read his work at StanGraphs and follow him on Twitter at @vaughanbasepct.

Liriano is 3-10 with an earned run average of 5.31 in 2012. He had made 22 appearances and started in 17 of them. However, the White Sox, who will be trying to fend off the surging Detroit Tigers in the American League Central Division for the remainder of the year, picture him as being useful out of the bullpen for the moment. It was a gamble worth taking by general manager Kenny Williams.

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The Minnesota Twins agreed late Saturday to trade Liriano to the Twins for Edurado Escobar and Pedro

The White Sox could't land Zack Grienke, but they'll settle for Francisco Liriano. (Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE)

Hernandez.  Escobar has played a grand total of 44 Major League game.  He owns a career .202/.276/.247 line.  In the minors, Escobar, who plays shortstop and second base, compiled a .270/.315/.351 line.  Hernandez has pitched four Major League innings, and he got shelled.  He gave up 12 hits and eight runs.  In six minor league seasons, Hernandez owns a 3.48 ERA.

The White Sox are getting a proven closer with injury problems in Liriano.  He was an All-Star in 2006 and finished 11th in Cy Young voting in 2010.  However, in 2006, Liriano was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery.  He missed the entire 2007 season.  He was one of the most promising young pitchers in the game at the time.  While he’s been able to make a full recovery, Liriano has never regained that full dominance he once showed before the surgery.

In his career, Liriano has a combined record of 50-52 and an ERA of 4.33.  His FIP f 3.69, though, may be more indicative of the pitcher he may be with a solid defense behind him.  His K/9 ratio is at its highest mark since 2006 at 9.81.  But his command is off.  Liriano is walking almost five batters per nine innings.

The White Sox, currently with a 2.5 game lead over the Tigers, hope Liriano can help bolster a starting rotation that include Chris Sale and Jake Peavy.  Both Sale and Peavy were All-Stars this year.

The Twins, in full-on rebuilding mode, hope Escobar and Hernandez can develop into true Major League talent.  They’ve yet to show much of anything on the big league level or even on the minor league level.  Escobar figures to be a utility player, but not an every day infielder.  Hernandez was a cast-off from the Padres in the Carlos Quentin deal – which looks better for the Sox now when you factor in Liriano’s addition as a direct result of moving Hernandez.

With Liriano in the rotation, the White Sox become and even bigger force for the the Tigers.  First-year manager Robin Ventura has  formidable three-headed monster in his starting rotation to help the Sox stave off the streaky Tigers.

For more on the Twins, be sure to check out Puckett’s Pond. 

For more on the White Sox, be sure to check out Southside Showdown. 

Not as popular as Ryan Dempster or Zack Greinke, Francisco Liriano is another starter on the trading block this summer. (Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE)

story out of the American League Central has fallen on hard times.  After nine seasons out of ten with finishes above .500 and six play-off appearances, the Twins lost 99 games last year.  This year isn’t much better.  They are 38-53.  Because of this, the Twins are obvious sellers as the trade deadline approaches, but they don’t have much they can sell.  However, they do have Francisco Liriano.

According to Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN in Minnesota, both the Los Angeles Angels and the Toronto Blue Jays have shown legitimate interest in Liriano.

The Angels are believed to be dangling outfielder Peter Bourjos in any potential deal for pitching. The Angels have a surplus of outfielders, and Bourjos, 25, has batted only 155 times this season, posting a line of .243/.298/.360.

There are numerous other teams who have shown interest in Liriano including the Red Sox, Braves, and Nationals.  However, the Angles and the Blue Jays are the most recent and most likely suitors as it stands now.  The Blue Jays may fall out of contention and thus out of the buyer’s category with Jose Bautista on the DL.  Right now, Toronto is 3.5 games back of the second Wild Card spot in the American League, but they are two games under .500.  The Angels, on the other hand, look like one of the better teams in the league.  With C.J. Wilson, Jered Weaver, Albert Pujols, Mike Trout, and Mark Trumbo, the Angels have a team to reckoned with.

Francisco Liriano is 3-9 with a 4.81 ERA, but he has shown flashes of greatness.  He has never been the same pitcher he was prior to Tommy John surgery in 2006, but he still has a great deal of talent.  His FIP and xFIP indicate Liriano has been rather unlucky this season and is actually pitching better than his ERA would indicate.  His FIP is 3.86.  His xFIP is 3.84.

Should the Twins deal Liriano, they will be looking to restock their farm system.  Much like the Cubs, the Twins have a depleted system and it’s clear they are not in a position to compete any time soon.