The Texas Rangers had to be ecstatic when they were about to sign Fraidel Liriano. The then 16 year old shortstop was set to receive a $1.5 million signing bonus as he began his journey through the Rangers system, even if his professional career was delayed due to the pandemic.
It is now fair to wonder if his time with the Rangers will ever happen. Liriano is suing the Rangers for $251 million in damages, claiming a breach of contract and that they attempted to pay him only half of the agreed upon signing bonus.
Fraidel Liriano coming after Texas Rangers
If the Rangers were looking to pay Liriano only half of the agreed upon bonus, that would seemingly leave $750,000 as a disputed amount. Some extra money would be expected in a lawsuit for various damaged. But $251 million? As they say, you miss all the shots that you don’t take.
Liriano is an intriguing prospect. He has strong hands and wrists, allowing him to generate plenty of bat speed. His swing is a bit flat and geared more towards hitting line drives, but he hits the ball hard to all fields. While there was some question about his future home defensively, his bat was expected to be enough to help him progress through the Rangers’ system.
His future now is certainly in question. While Liriano remains an intriguing prospect, it is fair to wonder if he will get that chance in affiliated ball. If he fails in his lawsuit, it will be interesting to see how his career progresses, if it will be with the Rangers or elsewhere.
Fraidel Liriano is suing the Texas Rangers for $251 million for breach of contract. It is certainly worth taking that shot if the bridges are completely burned.