Jon Lieber Action

You know it’s a rough year for pitching when Jon Lieber is a hot commodity.  I kid – he’s not that bad.  Liebs turns 37 next April, and figures to be the most expendable of Philly’s six starters.  He’ll make $7.5MM in 2007.

Home runs and hits got the best of Lieber last year, though his command remained elite.  He had a 4.93 ERA overall, but can probably pitch at his second half level (4.53).

The Pirates wanted to bring him back, perhaps hoping they could right the wrong of trading him to the Cubs for Brant Brown.  However, John Perrotto tells us that interest has cooled because the Phillies asked for Salomon Torres.  Seems like a fair deal to me.

Joe Strauss wrote last week that the Cards could pursue Lieber, just as they did at the trading deadline.  For all of Walt Jocketty’s posturing, the team needs one starter.  Not sure if any talks are going on here.

A week ago, the Phils had a deal in place to send Lieber to Milwaukee for Kevin Mench and Derrick Turnbow.  However, talks dried up two days later.  Jim Salisbury threw Texas’s hat into the ring in the same article.  The Rangers were another team trying to trade for him in July.

Speaking of last July, the Mets wanted in at that point too.