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The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed free-agent left-hander Francisco Liriano to a two-year, $14 million deal, reports La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:
The Francisco Liriano era is officially over in Minnesota.
The lefthander has agreed to a two year, $14 million contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to a source. The deal will be finalized once Liriano passes a physical.
The 29-year-old left-hander has had a roller-coaster of a seven-year career, and the Pirates must hope that he will be able to reclaim a bit of his old magic in the NL Central. Following a stellar rookie season with the Twins in 2006, Liriano missed all of the following season to undergo Tommy John surgery and has never really been the same pitcher since then.
The left-hander has shown glimpses of his former self in the five seasons since the elbow surgery -- posting a 3.62 ERA in 2010 and throwing a no-hitter in 2011 -- but overall Liriano has struggled to throw strikes and is not the elite strikeout pitcher he once was. Liriano owns a 4.75 ERA and 8.7 K/9 rate in five seasons since putting up a stellar 2.16 ERA in 121 innings in his rookie campaign.
He split his time in 2012 between the Twins and White Sox, posting a 5.34 ERA in 28 starts.
