The Pittsburgh Pirates lost catcher Russell Martin earlier this winter to the Blue Jays, but they won’t be losing starting pitcher Francisco Liriano. The club has agreed to a three-year, $39 million deal with Liriano that will keep him in the black and gold.
Source: Francisco Liriano to the #Pirates on a three-year, $39 million deal.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) December 9, 2014
I actually like this. At 31, Liriano is obviously no spring chicken. Injuries have been a factor during his resurgence in Pittsburgh, as he’s combined for just 323 1/3 innings over the past two years. However, he’s still been really good, striking out a total of 338 hitters and posting a 3.20 ERA.
The 3/$39 contract seemed like a consensus among most fans and analysts, and seeing him actually get that deal almost makes it seem like a bargain.
ESPN’s Dan Szymborski ran Liriano through his ZiPS projection system for the next three years, and the resulting numbers seem very similar to what Liriano posted during his first two years in Pittsburgh.
Here’s the ZIPS for Liriano. pic.twitter.com/2hlph07l5L
— Dan Szymborski (@DSzymborski) December 9, 2014
The Pirates could still use another starting pitcher after bringing Liriano and A.J. Burnett (after a year in Philadelphia) back. Those two, along with the electric Gerrit Cole, Jeff Locke, Vance Worley, and the currently injured Charlie Morton will make up a fine rotation, but it may not be enough in the NL Central. One more arm would make me feel a lot better about the Pirates in 2015.
