10:00pm: Liriano will make a $1.5MM salary and could earn performance bonuses if he gets to the majors as a Jay, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet tweets.
9:12pm: The Blue Jays have agreed to terms on a minor league contract with left-hander Francisco Liriano, as Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun first reported. He’ll get an invite to major league spring training.
Liriano previously pitched for the Blue Jays from 2016-17, but they sent him to the Astros in the latter season in a deal that delivered outfielder Teoscar Hernandez to Toronto. Hernandez has since enjoyed quite a bit of success as a Blue Jay, though Liriano has been inconsistent dating back to the trade. He did, however, log a solid 3.47 ERA with 50.3 percent groundball rate in 70 innings and 69 appearances as a Pittsburgh reliever in 2019. The 37-year-old opted out of last season because of concerns centering on COVID-19.
Since his career began in 2005, Liriano has pitched for six organizations and piled up 419 appearances and 300 starts. He has put up a 4.15 ERA/3.93 SIERA with above-average strikeout and walk rates of 23.3 percent and 10.5 percent, respectively, over 1,813 2/3 innings. Liriano will presumably compete for a role in Toronto’s bullpen this spring.
Wtf?!
was hoping he’d come back to Philly
Why, the FO gave him no chance last year.
well hopefully greater financial flexibility would help there
The way they treated him last year was a joke.
Cardinal killer
Toronto once traded Liriano to Houston for Teoscar Hernandez
Wish my parents had forced me to be a lefty.
Like Todd Marinavichs dad did to him
He’s still around?
Some of the signings today are cringeworthy
So is this comment. Depth is depth.
I don’t understand how a veteran lefty who has 2 plus offspeed pitches and can pitch to batters on both sides of the plate and have a respectable ERA is cringe. Middle relievers may not be exciting, but its nice to have one you know is solid.
Especially when he doesn’t take up a roster spot!
100% concur. people don’t understand baseball very well. I’d love to have him on the Indians
This is a great signing for the Blue Jays. What if he ends up being ’05 Dustin Hermanson? I remember the Cardinals signed this guy Named Bud Norris and he ended up closing games for them. Phillies missed out here
I thought this said Francisco Lindor for a minute… I was like… hold up.
Lol! I had the same brief trout
Me too, dyslexia is awesome
I am a dyslexic and am offended by this comment…that fact said, I too scrolled back thinking it was lindor, not gonna lie LOL
7 out of every 5 people are dyslexic
Convectess: I had to laugh at that one. It was funny.
I’m not trying to downplay dyslexia, but I’ve noticed about 30-50 times in the past month, I’ve stopped myself after reading something and noticed that I was one letter off. Or typing out something and spelling a wor…. JUST NOW! I tried to spell “word” and instead spelled “work”. I don’t know if you can gain dyslexia, but this is starting to get frustrating.
Considering the hours you spend on this site, it’s not hard to imagine.
That guys brain has gone to waste.
Well its a minor league deal so jays cant really lose. He missed last year it looks like but he pitched to a 3.47 a ERA over 70 IP but he had 4.53 FIP and had bellow average K/9(8.1) & BB/9(4.5). good upside signing in my opinion but i wouldnt bet on him making the team being 35+ and missing a year
This guy still in the league? Lol
I assume this type of an invite does not take up a spot on the 40 man roster? I believe they have one open spot which I am hoping (closer to expecting) they use in a trade or to sign one of Rothenthal, Odorizzi, or Walker
No open spot- the Matz deal opened 2. One for Matz himself and one for Semien.
He’s left-handed and he has a pulse he’ll do fine
Left handlers can make some serious coin.
I didn’t know he was still around!
I like it. There no sense in the Jays going all in this year and limiting themselves in the future.. Good point JD Goat, no roster spot. Great depth signing no risk.
Could be the the #2 in the rotation if Pearson flames out like I predict he will. Then SP lineup would be Ryu, Liriano, Ray, Roark, Stripling.
Starter? Can he go more than 3 innings anymore?
No he can’t. He couldn’t do that years ago.
Bud, that means the Jays have one good pitcher in your rotation list, Ryu. The rest are trade or release fodder. No championship with this rotation list.
got that ring in h town though
Atkins feet are so completely off the ground digging in the dumpster for this signing that you can see the soles of his shoes. #BlueJays #Liriano
This guy has been a literal mini gold mine for the Jays. We get Reese McGuire with him. He goes 8-7 as a Jay. He gets the win in 2016 WC game on EE’s walk off. Then we trade him for Teoscar. Plus he’s a left handed arm that costs next to nothing.
He’s been learning the knuckleball for the past year and a half and is going to Charlie Hough it this year. Next year. A whole decade. Expect genius. Now is the turning point in his Hall of Fame career.
2006 Liriano was some of the most electrifying pitching I ever saw in my life. Couple that with Johan in the rotation and Mauer and Morneau anchoring the middle of the lineup and that Twins team was legit primed for a WS. Liriano going down at the end of that year sapped the energy right out of that team and they got swept in the first round by the A’s. Same year the Yankees got bounced by the Tigers while Arod was dropped to 8th in the order. A very weak Cardinals team won the WS that year.
That was honestly the Twins year and I feel like the team could never mentally recover from losing Liriano, he was that good. He came back and had a very good career, but he never had the stuff he did that first year. Glad he is still in the game and chugging along.
Electrifying? He only pitched to around 120 innings in 2006. Never reached 200 in his career. He has been good on occasion but hard for me to call him great with such inconsistency.
Still, for 1.5 million, this is a great deal because who knows what the Jays get.
Twins get their WS when they earn it. You don’t win it by getting swept out of the postseason. They were in many ways mediocre.
Before Liriano was hurt in 2006, he was filthy in 2006. Then experienced arm trouble and bye bye 2007 and part of 2008.
Liriano has brought the Jays Teoscar Hernandez, Nori Aoki, Reese McGuire and Harold Ramirez (the latter two as compensation for taking on Liriano’s salary from the Pirates). So, I think they owe him a shot this spring as thanks.
Nothing better to do but post stupid comments. Boy life sure is sweet in momma’s basement
Lilian has always had a pretty high FIP in his career (he’s been inconsistent, some good, some bad). He’s not always been great, but for 1.5 million, you can’t go wrong here. He might get one of those good years. Excellent move by the Jay’s. I hope Bloom is taking notes.
Good little pickup. Loading up on lefties. Now go sign Bauer.
Bauer yes, Liriano , absolutely no.
Jimmer, relax on Liriano. If this was a guaranteed MLB contract I’d agree with you. Doesn’t hurt to bring him in on a minor league deal.
Bigger issues at play here; obviously the starting rotation fit to be ripped all season long, and what to do with the OF situation as it’s a crowded house. It’s still early in the offseason…. :)
Breath, breath, need to remember to breath. Lol.
I think the Jays will start okay but how long before the rotation falls apart and the bullpen which looks to be very good, falls apart due to burnout? 50 games? 100 games?
About 61 games.
Bauer’s price has to be dropping, or at least in-theory it should be. This is the time to get him. Bauer, Ryu, Pearson, last two spots up for grabs. But looking at this offseason it was filled with some questionable signings and odd approaches. Still don’t see them surpassing the Yankees or Rays with this current squad.
From my angle, the lost pick and international pool money is holding back the Jays on Bauer more than the AAV or contract itself.
Blame Springer now maybe?
For a second I read it as Francisco Lindor and I was very confused
I think that’s what Atkins thought too.
Chatwood and Liriano….. if you’ve ever heard of dumpster diving, then you’ve certainly came to the right place. Atkins sure loves those garage sales. Best signing all off season was the 1 year deal to semien.
I read this as “Blue Jays, Francisco Lindor Agree to Deal” and started freaking out before I took a closer look
I always forget that the Blue Jays got Teoscar for a couple months of a 5+ ERA Liriano. Pretty sweet deal!
I’ve never been a fan of Shapiro and Atkins, and I still think the real reason for them being so active this winter is that their jobs were on the line. Shapiro only got his job renewed after signing Springer.
That being said Jays now have a very good fielding unit with the slots in the outfield and SS filled, but as is the case with every team Jays got still use some good starting pitching. They are 68 mill below the luxury tax threshold, They have Springer for 6 yrs at 150 mill and Matz at 18mil for one year. I think with Matz the one year was more due to some young prospects ready to make the move up in the next year or two at most. So why not do all in and sign Bauer. It gives them to proven starters and if Pearson can avoid those blips in last years outing the rotation could be assume.
They have an average fielding unit. Still weak defensively at 1B, possibly 3B, possibly RF, Bichette still has something to prove, and we’re not totally sure how good Semian at 2B is (though he should be above average), and if Kirk catches much he’s a defensive weakness. But that’s a big step up from last year’s defensive circus.
I’m all for offering Bauer a 1 year, $68MM contract… because it’s not my money.
I never suggested paying Bauer 68mm. but they have money to offer him a 2yr deal with options in the 30 range.
As for 1st base you have Guerrero and Tellez. One plays 1st the other DH. They both play decent 1st and they both have big bats and I like Tellez attitude.
Bichette plys hard hits well and has nothing to prove, remember he’s only coming into his second full season. If the play him at 3rd the concern does he have the arm to make that throw. And possibly Geurrero worked had at getting his weight down, his position was 3rd base perhaps he wins that back
I traveled all the way to Toronto for the 150th Canada Day to see the Jays. Had third row seats behind the dugout. Liriano crapped on the whole country of Canada by giving up SEVEN runs in the top of the first against Boston.