Baltimore Orioles: Three Potential Left-Handed Starter Trade Targets

Francisco Liriano

After being one of the darlings of the National League, Francisco Liriano has finally come back to reality in 2016. In the winter of 2014, he signed a three-year, $39 million deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates that will carry him through the 2017 season.

Although he hasn’t exactly been worth that much this year, a change of scenery could do him some good. After all, that’s what turned his career around after several disappointing years with the Minnesota Twins and a season with the Chicago White Sox. Finding a home in Pittsburgh won him a Comeback Player of the Year award and set him up for three consecutive seasons with an ERA below 3.40.

This year, Liriano’s control issues have returned in full force. He leads the league with 49 walks, and has given up 45 runs in 78.1 innings. It’s been a rough 2016 for the lefty, but he has enough of a track record that the Orioles have expressed interested in him, as has been widely reported.

There are two issues here. One is that the Pirates aren’t necessarily in sell mode. Their front office has expressed that they still feel that they can compete for a Wild Card spot (let’s face it, no one is catching the Chicago Cubs for the NL Central title), and the Pirates would be giving up a full season and a half of Liriano, even if they can’t win this year – meaning they most likely would have to be ready to throw in the towel on 2017, as well.

The less-tangible concern is about Liriano’s performance. When he struggled with the Twins and White Sox, it was against American League pitching. His most successful years have come in the NL instead. Could he regress (even more than he has in 2016) if he signs with an AL team like the Orioles? It’s certainly something for the O’s to consider.

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