On December 21, 2012, the Pittsburgh Pirates & free-agent lefty Francisco Liriano agreed to a two-year deal worth $12.75 million dollars. It looked to be a great deal for the Pirates, as Liriano -- although he has struggled in the past -- has shown great upside when healthy.
Now we move along a couple of weeks. It was January 8, 2013, when it was reported by several sources that the deal had hit a snag because of an injury to Liriano's non-throwing arm. The injury didn't appear to be too serious, and the Pirates were still expected to be in contact with Liriano and his agent.
Today (January 21, 2013) Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports is reporting that Liriano and the Bucs have readjusted the deal and made it official.
Sources: #Pirates, Liriano have adjusted and finalized 2-year agreement. Liriano will assume risk due to injury to right (non-throwing) arm.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 21, 2013
If Liriano misses no time due to specific right arm injury, he still gets original $12.75M. First-year salary would reduce if he misses timeAhhhh, the Pirates & Liriano were finally able to make it official. After dragging this out for a month, I'm sure that both Liriano and the Pirates are happy to finally get this deal done.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 21, 2013
So, what exactly does this mean for the Pittsburgh Pirates?
The Pirates are bringing on a Dominican-born, 29-year-old, left-handed pitcher with a history of injuries. Liriano, the 2010 American League Comeback Player of the Year, has spent seven seasons in the majors. In those seven seasons, Liriano has posted a 53-54 record while sporting a 4.40 ERA, a 9.1 K/9, a 3.8 BB/9, and a 1.354 WHIP. The lefty has also averaged 185 innings per season.
Overall, I think this is a good deal for both sides. Pittsburgh gets a solid middle-of-the-rotation starter, and Liriano gets to play on a team that believes in his ability. Confidence is key in this league -- especially for a pitcher -- so I expect Liriano to shine bright on his new team.
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