According to Ken Rosenthal, the Pittsburgh Pirates have finalized their two-year deal with Francisco Liriano. Rosenthal has the details below:
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 time
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 21, 2013
I’m guessing that the first year salary would include performance bonuses for either playing time, or days on the active roster. That’s the only way I could see a team being able to work a deal like that.
With the recent addition of Jeff Karstens, the Pirates don’t have a huge need for Liriano on Opening Day. They could go with Karstens and one of Kyle McPherson or Jeff Locke to round out the rotation, then bring Liriano in when he’s healthy. Obviously you want him back as soon as possible, since he’s got the potential for more upside than any one of those pitchers.
Tim started Pirates Prospects in 2009 from his home in Virginia, which was 40 minutes from where Pedro Alvarez made his pro debut in Lynchburg. That year, the Lynchburg Hillcats won the Carolina League championship, and Pirates Prospects was born from Tim's reporting along the way. The site has grown over the years to include many more writers, and Tim has gone on to become a credentialed MLB reporter, producing Pirates Prospects each year, and will publish his 11th Prospect Guide this offseason. He has also served as the Pittsburgh Pirates correspondent for Baseball America since 2019. Behind the scenes, Tim is an avid music lover, and most of the money he gets paid to run this site goes to vinyl records.
Always like having some rotation depth. So now so far thos offseason we signed Jason Gilli 3 times and Liriano twice. Of the other two noteable free agents we digned one we released (non-tendered) and then resigned. Martin has to feel jipped his signing wasn’t more complicated.
Martin may have the yips but he doesn’t feel gypped.
(sorry…couldn’t resist).
Seriously, not a fan of signing Liriano. He could make the Bedard signing look good by comparison….and we’re stuck with him for two years.
Sure hope I am wrong, but…
Me too. But I’d rather have a shaky Liriano than another soft Lefty (Saunders). I think it was one or the other.
This is good news and coupled with the Karstens signing the Pirate pitching staff has good mix of veterans and youngsters.