Left-handed pitcher Francisco Liriano has announced his retirement, agent Mike Maulini tells Robert Murray of FanSided. Liriano debuted in 2005 with the Twins as a 21-year-old, and he last toed the rubber with the Pirates in 2019. All in all, Liriano appeared in 14 big-league seasons with the Twins, Blue Jays, White Sox, Tigers, Astros, and Pirates. MLBTR sends our sincere congratulations to Liriano on a long and successful career.
Liriano originally signed with the Giants as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic on September 9, 2000. He would spend his first three professional seasons in San Francisco’s minor league system, reaching High-A in 2003 before being traded to the Twins in November. The deal would prove a good one for Minnesota, who received Liriano with Boof Bonser and Joe Nathan in exchange for catcher A.J. Pierzynski and cash. The deal marked the first of four times that Liriano would be traded throughout his professional career.
With the Twins, Liriano became a star. He burst onto the scene for a 96-win club in 2006, immediately crowned as the perfect sidekick/successor for ace Johan Santana. The 22-year-old threw 121 innings with a 2.16 ERA/2.55 FIP. Liriano was so impressive that he made the All-Star team, his only such appearance. Just as Liriano tantalized Minnesota’s fanbase with his electric arsenal, disaster ended the dream before it really even began: Liriano underwent Tommy John surgery in early November, knocking him out of the entirety of 2007.
He returned in 2008 to make 14 starts, posting a 3.91 ERA/3.87 FIP over 76 innings. Unfortunately, the electricity was gone from his game as his 30.4 percent strikeout rate from 2006 fell to 20.4 percent in his return season. Though some thump may have been gone from Liriano’s game, he proved to be an extremely resourceful and resilient professional, twice winning the Comeback Player of the Year award.
The first time came in 2010 when he rebounded from a difficult 2009 seasons to start 31 games and toss 191 2/3 innings with a 3.62 ERA/2.66 FIP, striking out more than 200 batters for the first time in his career. Liriano helped the Twins to 94 wins and a division title. He made just one postseason start as the Twins were bounced from the playoffs in a three-game sweep at the hands of the Yankees. That club was the third division winner of the past five years, but all three were swept out of the playoffs, and they tumbled to fifth place in 2011.
They stayed there in 2012, which helped lay the groundwork for the second trade of Liriano’s career. The Twins traded Liriano to the White Sox on August 1, 2012 for Eduardo Escobar and Pedro Hernandez.
Liriano signed a somewhat surprising deal with the Pirates that offseason that turned out to be a prescient move for the Buccos. Liriano made 26 starts in his first season with the Pirates, tossing 161 innings with a 3.02 ERA/2.93 FIP, a remarkable effort that won Liriano his second Comeback Player of the Year award. Liriano proved the perfect avatar for the Pirates’ own turnaround, who won 94 games and ended a 20-season playoff drought.
Not only did Liriano help get the Pirates to the postseason, he was the winning pitcher of a one-game playoff against the Reds, tossing seven innings of one-run baseball en route to a 6-2 win. That win might be the single greatest moment in the last 30 years of Pirates baseball. Remarkably, that team boasted a rotation that included a young(er) Charlie Morton and Gerrit Cole, but Liriano was the ace of that staff, and he pitched like it in the postseason.
The Pirates would go up 2-1 in the NLDS before ultimately falling in a five-game loss to the Cardinals. Liriano started a game three win as well, pitching six solid innings and giving up just three hits and two runs. Liriano even walked and drove in a run with a sacrifice in that game.
Liriano and the Pirates would return to the playoffs a wild card team in each of the next two seasons, running into a pair of buzzsaws in Madison Bumgarner and Jake Arrieta, both of whom threw complete game shutouts in their respective wild card contests. Liriano’s run in Pittsburgh was no less remarkable, however, as he posted a 3.65 ERA over 693 2/3 innings in parts of five seasons with the Pirates.
The 2016 season would mark the end of the second phase of Liriano’s career and begin the third. After a subpar start to the season for both player and team, Liriano was traded for the third time in his career. This time saw him shipped to the Blue Jays along with Reese McGuire and Harold Ramirez in exchange for Drew Hutchison.
He was traded for the last time at the deadline the next season. The Astros acquired Liriano for Nori Aoki and Teoscar Hernandez. He shifted to the bullpen, becoming a lefty specialist and winning a World Series with the 2017 Astros. He recorded a valuable out in each of game six and game seven, retiring Cody Bellinger on both occasions.
Because of the speed at which Liriano burst onto the scene, he probably ended up being slightly underrated throughout his career, one marked by reinvention. No matter the trial, Liriano pushed through it, making 300 career starts and appearing in 419 career games, tossing 1,813 2/3 innings and finishing with a 4.15 career ERA and 3.88 career FIP. He was an All-Star, a World Series winner, and he even tossed a no-hitter while a member of the Twins back in 2011. Congratulations to Liriano on a truly remarkable career.
Holy smokes, I thought this said Francisco Lindor at first.
You and me both. Nearly had a heart attack
I read it right but also did a double-take because I thought he already retired.
touche
Is that another Mets crack Dewey
No, at least I think not. He probably meant that he thought that Liriano had already retired.
I can’t be the only one who read “Francisco Lindor announces retirement” and had a mini heart attack
Man, I’ll never forget his start during that 2013 Wild Card game.
Me either. My other favorite memory of him was a bit more comical: when he hit a homer (which was shocking in itself), but ran around the bases noticeably wincing because he had pulled a muscle in his side with his swing. Say what you want, but it’s kind of impressive for anyone to hit a homer while injuring themselves, let alone for a pitcher who usually can’t hit. And FWIW he smoked it too, it didn’t just creep over the wall.
Monkey’s- I remember that home run but thought that it just got a few rows into the left field seats.In any event,it was something to behold.Hurdle had told his pitchers that they needed to be better hitters in spring training,and he and I think Burnett also homered that year.Cole was the only decent hitter of the group.I did not know of Liriano’s injury but do not recall that he was removed from the game.
I always thought that he had great stuff but could have been one of these guys who somewhat rested on his laurels.He had a very noticeable drop off the second year of his three year $39M contract,and that is why he was traded.The Pirates were happy to find a taker with money,but the Blue Jays ended up winning that trade with the return for him from the Astros.
All in all he pitched well in Pittsburgh and he along with Burnett were two of the big reasons that they had a fine pitching staff for three years.I wish him well.
Mendoza: After I posted this I realized that Liriano actually hit 2 homers as a Pirate, and it’s very possible the one he smoked was the other one.
Monkey’s-Thank you for the reply.I would have never known that he actually hit two because he was a weak hitter.But,most pitchers cannot even dream of hitting one let alone two.
He had 2 career homeruns, the one off of Mat Latos was not that impressive, yes it was opposite field, but only 2 rows deep. The homerun he hit off of King Felix Hernandez was to centerfield and it hit the batters eye, that was impressive.
Thanks Jonathan
He had a really really up and down career. Wound up largely underachieving and felt like he was running on fumes most of the time after that 2006 gem of a season. I mean good for him that he toughed it out, carved out a decent career either way.
It depends on where you base your trajectory if he under or over achieved. Yea after 06 he underachieved, but he overachieved from where he was as a signing and after the 09 season of his.
Liriano’s no hitter against the White Sox on May 3, 2011 is just a silly stat line. Obviously, no runs or hits, but only 2 strikeouts and 6 walks! Including 3 to speedy lead off man Juan Pierre (who did reach second once on a stolen base but never beyond that). Out of his 123 pitches thrown, only 66 were strikes. Just an insane line for a no hitter.
Congrats to Liriano on a long, fun career. Wishing him nothing but the best in retirement.
That reminds me of Edwin Jackson’s 8-walk no-no and Andy Hawkins’ no-hitter he lost, 4-0.
MLB changed the rules of what a no-hitter actually is, and Hawkins’ no-hitter was removed from the record books. Joe Musgrove actually pitched the first no-no for the Padres, just last year, at the height of doctored baseballs
Hawkins “no hitter” was with the Yankees, not the Padres.
I did not understand as to why the Orioles did not try and sign him for 2021
We needed bullpen help and he pitched well in Spring Training for the Jays
Oh well, and I hope he enjoys retirement
Not a superstar, but he carved out a nice career for himself, including one all-star nod. And picked up over 62MM along the way. Enjoy retirement, Francisco.
2006 Liriano, best pitcher I’ve ever seen on a regular basis and us Twins fans were gifted with being able to watch Johan Santana at his peak. 2006 Liriano was better, which is insane. And then it was ripped away…
I was going to say, he was gifted to the Twins by the Giants in that horrendous A.J. Pierzynski trade, along with Joe Nathan. Brian Sabean made some clunker deals for the Giants, but that one takes the cake.
Yeah that was great too but the “gifted” part was regarding being able to watch Santana. Just to clarify.
Liriano and Nathan did both end up being free gifts though
I don’t think people here understand how good he was in 2006. That was the Twins best shot in recent memory. Lineup was stacked and with Liriano leading that pitching staff, yes Johan took a backseat to Liriano that year which I know is insane, that team was primed for a run. Him going down at the end of the season with TJS completely deflated that team and although he was good after that he never looked like he did his rookie year.
Just feels like yesterday that Liriano and Johan Santana were dominating up there in Minnesota. Enjoy your retirement Franky, really appreciate all the years you put in for my Pirates.
Thoughts and prayers for a speedy retirement.
AJ Pierzynski for Joe Nathan, Boof Bonser and Francisco Liriano.
Still probably the worst Giant trade of the 21st century. Yes, there are other contenders but the careers that Nathan and Liriano went on to have cut deep. 3 Rings made up for it though.
I came here to say this. I’m still angry about this trade.
joe nathan should have been a first-ballot hall of famer. his 2004-2009 run is arguably the most dominant of all time for a closer
Nathan would have been a HoF if he started off in the Majors as a RP or didnt have the injuries.
Nathan bounced around between SP and RP as a Giant, but was never a closer — only tallying one save in his years in SF. First year with the Twins, 44 saves.
Who did the Giants close out games with in 2004? Matt Herges and Dustin Hermanson. Yeah, I purged that pain from my mind, too.
not even close to a first ballot. Not even in the same universe…
Enjoyed watching him pitch during the Pirates’ most recent “glory era”. Hard to believe their pitching staff was comprised of Frankie, A.J. Burnett, Charlie Morton and Gerrit Cole (with Jeff Locke, as well) and that Liriano was arguably the ace of the staff
That was one very good rotation indeed. I really liked to watch him during his peak. Enjoy retirement Francisco.
When “Franky” had his control as a Pirate there were times he was virtually unhittable. The pitch he threw that looked like a screwball or two seam fastball, which would break in on lefties and away from righties, was just sick. Guys would corkscrew themselves into the ground swinging at it.
Seems like a lifetime ago the Giants made that Pierzynski trade wow. Happy retirement Liriano!
Interesting player. Not exactly a journeyman, 2/3 of his lifetime WAR compressed int0 three seasons.
Congrats on your retirement, Francisco. I really thought you were gonna bring the Twins to the promised land back in 2006.
The deal the Jays swung to bring him in and then how they were somehow able to get Hernandez when dumping him were two phenomenal moves. Congrats on a great career and enjoy retirement.
Liriano with Santana was an unreal 1-2 punch that season
See you in Cooperstown, Mr. Liryano.
Author of one of the ugliest no-hitters in Baseball history he did a pretty good job of reinventing himself in Pittsburgh.
Enjoy retirement.
He was a beast in his rookie year until Tommy John surgery.
Really strong career though. Some tough years but anyone who can go ten plus years with those numbers and big games is pretty good
As a Blue Jays fan I was pleased with his regular season performance in 2016 after the trade. He was okay for most of the postseason too.
Pretty incredible career. I remember thinking the Giants made a colossal mistake trading him. Tte turnaround in Pittsburgh was great and those teams were fun.
2017 is 2017. We all know how that run was won. But if he wants to enjoy it, let him.
Wow, yes highly underrated career. Forgot he won a world series
Trading Liriano was a franchise changing move for both the Giants and Twins. Pierzynski, a well-liked and contributing player in Minnesota, was a cancer for the Giants. He does have a very punchable face though.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2004/04/30/giants-pitchers-rip-into-pierzynski/
A career mediocre pitcher with a few fantastic seasons that just put him over the top.
I’d like to take this occasion to publicly thank the Astros for trading Teoscar Hernandez for Francisco Lirianp.
I think Astros fans are fine with it, too. He had multiple big outings in the World Series vs LAD.
Saw him pitch in Rochester. Electric stuff.
I loved Liriano! One of my favourite players. Wish him all the best in retirement!
Why is Framber Valdez retiring
I remember watching him with the Pirates and the announcers discussing a visual of how he led the league in percentage of pitches that started in the strike zone but crossed the plate outside of the strike zone. His cut fastball or sinker (whichever it was) was so nasty. It was great to watch him pitch for a few years. FYI you also missed the fact that rotation also had AJ Burnett along with Liriano, Morton and Cole.
Ahh yes, the guy that KW traded for that helped ruin the White Sox playoff chances, and traded away another good solid player they could have used instead (Eduardo Escobar). KW always had the knack for paying for players past their prime.
My favorite Liriano stat is in 2013 when he started a game after a Buccos loss, they won that game. Always getting them back on track. God that team was so fun to watch.