With the non-waiver trade deadline growing closer each day, Tigers rumors are beginning to heat up. One player who could conceivably be on the move is left-handed pitcher Francisco Liriano.
Late this winter, the Detroit Tigers signed left-handed pitcher Francisco Liriano to a one-year deal. At the time, Liriano was coming off of a rather rough two-year stretch with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros, posting a 5.05 ERA across 260 innings.
After a brief battle in spring training, Liriano went on to earn a spot in the Tigers’ starting rotation. Early on this season, it looked like the Tigers might have caught lightning in a bottle with Liriano.
Through his first nine starts of 2018, Liriano was 3-1 with a very respectable 3.42 ERA. He looked quite a bit like the pitcher who went 35-25 with a 3.26 ERA for the Pirates between 2013-15. On May 20, Liriano nearly pitched a no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners. In the midst of that game, Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports tweeted that Liriano was “a beautiful trade chip” for Detroit.
Not long after that start, however, Liriano was placed on the disabled list with a hamstring injury. He has not quite been the same since.
In six starts since returning from the DL, Liriano has posted a 6.58 ERA. On the season, he is now 3-5 and 4.73 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. That being said, it is still quite possible that Liriano could draw interest at the trade deadline.
According to Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press, the Boston Red Sox had “an executive” in attendance for Liriano’s start against the Kansas City Royals on Monday night. The Red Sox have also recently been linked to Tigers starter Mike Fiers. Fenech also notes the Red Sox current need for a lefty reliever and points to Liriano’s solid performance against left-handed hitters this season. Despite his recent struggles, lefties are still hitting just .117 against Liriano.
Moreover, Liriano has, of course, pitched out of the bullpen in the past as well. He was used exclusively as a reliever after being acquired by the World Champion Astros last summer.
While the return may not be as good as it could have been if Liriano had stayed healthy, it would still be a win for the Tigers if they are able to flip him and get a decent player back. Detroit is obviously in the middle of a rebuilding process and any young talent they are able to acquire will be a plus.