Detroit Tigers sign 2018 World Series Champion Francisco Liriano

Months after winning the World Series with the Houston Astros, Francisco Liriano looks to re-stock his value with the Detroit Tigers in 2018. What should we expect from the veteran lefty?

The career of Francisco Liriano has been a rollercoaster. Early on in his career, the lefty hurler looked like a future star. In his 2006 rookie campaign, Liriano was an All-Star for the Minnesota Twins. Adding to the promise, he finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting. More than a decade later he’ll look to cling to MLB life as a member of the Detroit Tigers.

On the day when Spring Training action officially begins, Liriano agreed to a one-year deal with the Tigers worth $4 million. A modest total when compared to the $13+ million he took home over the past few seasons, it’s the correct market price for him at this stage of his career.

Few teams could offer Liriano a gig as a starting pitcher. Fortunately, rebuilding teams like the Tigers are emptied at the starting pitcher position. Last year’s Justin Verlander trade and struggles from others have allowed Liriano and other veteran free agents the chance to re-stock some value in 2018.

What to expect from Francisco Liriano in 2018

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It’s worth noting that Francisco Liriano hasn’t started a game in quite some time. Once with the Houston Astros late last season, Liriano found a home in the bullpen. Understandably so, he was pretty bad early on in 2017 with the Toronto Blue Jays. Despite an inflated 5.88 ERA, the Astros saw something.

The Astros, looking for a left-handed pitcher for their bullpen, possibly viewed Liriano as a cheap rental with upside. Since he did play an underrated role in their championship run, we have to give them some credit. The Blue Jays, accepting their ill-fated season, shipped him to Houston for Norichika Aoki and Teoscar Hernandez. To their credit, Hernandez is now vying for an expanded role in 2018.

The Detroit Tigers shouldn’t expect too much from Liriano. At 34, he’s trending down.

However, the Tigers may be able to repeat what the Blue Jays did last season. Though his numbers weren’t fantastic in Houston, Liriano gave the Astros a left-handed bullpen option. Moreover, he threw 1.2 scoreless innings in the ALCS and World Series after struggling in the ALDS.

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At worst, the Tigers landed a starter to eat some innings. At best, they swap him at the trade deadline for a guy in his mid-20s just looking for a chance to play more regularly.