I’m having a bit of a problem categorizing this post. I don’t know if I want to put it in the “Water is Wet” category because it was so obvious that Neal “Is This 2006?” Huntington was going to sign Liriano. At the same time I kind of want to put it in the “Money Makes A Great Fire” category because they managed to give a guy with an ERA AND BB/9 over five for two straight years $14 million over two years.
Francisco Liriano is a nice signing if you get him cheap. Low Risk/High Reward. He isn’t cheap though. In fact they gave a guy $14 million dollars coming off a season in which he posted a WAR of -0.3.
Between Russell Martin and Francisco Liriano the Pirates have now spent $30 million dollars on players that COMBINED for a WAR of 1.2 last season. People often talk about how the Pirates have to be smart with their money, and while I don’t hate the Martin signing I don’t see how the Liriano signing is smart.
This is what $14 million gets ya.
| Year | Tm | W | L | G | GS | IP | ER | HR | BB | SO | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | MIN | 1 | 2 | 5.70 | 6 | 4 | 23.2 | 15 | 4 | 7 | 33 | 79 | 1.099 | 7.2 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 12.5 | 4.71 |
| 2006 | MIN | 12 | 3 | 2.16 | 28 | 16 | 121.0 | 29 | 9 | 32 | 144 | 208 | 1.000 | 6.6 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 10.7 | 4.50 |
| 2008 | MIN | 6 | 4 | 3.91 | 14 | 14 | 76.0 | 33 | 7 | 32 | 67 | 108 | 1.395 | 8.8 | 0.8 | 3.8 | 7.9 | 2.09 |
| 2009 | MIN | 5 | 13 | 5.80 | 29 | 24 | 136.2 | 88 | 21 | 65 | 122 | 76 | 1.551 | 9.7 | 1.4 | 4.3 | 8.0 | 1.88 |
| 2010 | MIN | 14 | 10 | 3.62 | 31 | 31 | 191.2 | 77 | 9 | 58 | 201 | 112 | 1.263 | 8.6 | 0.4 | 2.7 | 9.4 | 3.47 |
| 2011 | MIN | 9 | 10 | 5.09 | 26 | 24 | 134.1 | 76 | 14 | 75 | 112 | 80 | 1.489 | 8.4 | 0.9 | 5.0 | 7.5 | 1.49 |
| 2012 | TOT | 6 | 12 | 5.34 | 34 | 28 | 156.2 | 93 | 19 | 87 | 167 | 78 | 1.468 | 8.2 | 1.1 | 5.0 | 9.6 | 1.92 |
| 2012 | MIN | 3 | 10 | 5.31 | 22 | 17 | 100.0 | 59 | 12 | 55 | 109 | 76 | 1.440 | 8.0 | 1.1 | 5.0 | 9.8 | 1.98 |
| 2012 | CHW | 3 | 2 | 5.40 | 12 | 11 | 56.2 | 34 | 7 | 32 | 58 | 81 | 1.518 | 8.6 | 1.1 | 5.1 | 9.2 | 1.81 |
| 7 Yrs | 53 | 54 | 4.40 | 168 | 141 | 840.0 | 411 | 83 | 356 | 846 | 96 | 1.354 | 8.4 | 0.9 | 3.8 | 9.1 | 2.38 | |
| MIN (7 yrs) | 50 | 52 | 4.33 | 156 | 130 | 783.1 | 377 | 76 | 324 | 788 | 97 | 1.342 | 8.4 | 0.9 | 3.7 | 9.1 | 2.43 | |
| CHW (1 yr) | 3 | 2 | 5.40 | 12 | 11 | 56.2 | 34 | 7 | 32 | 58 | 81 | 1.518 | 8.6 | 1.1 | 5.1 | 9.2 | 1.81 | |
Sure he strikes guys out, but he walks a ton. Not only that he gives up his fair share of hits AND homers. On top of that he isn’t ultra-reliable. He missed a whole season due to injury and has never pitched 200 innings in a season.
Durability isn’t a concern for Huntington’s crushes though.
If you follow me on twitter you know I’ve been saying for months this signing would happen. Neal Huntington is entirely too predictable. He constantly falls in love with these guys that had a small amount of success and just can’t stop loving them.
In fact, when the negotiations were ongoing this was Liriano’s ringtone on Neal Huntington’s phone.
It might have taken a while but Neal Huntington finally got his crush. Sure when he fell in love she was the prom queen. Sure she has put on a ton of weight, and rocks a mullet. But with a little work, treadmill time, a new haircut, maybe she can regain the prom queen glory that Huntington fell in love with in the first place?
Of course if she does she will be on the first train out of town….
So, even more uncertainty in the rotation.
And for about twice as much as Jeff Karstens would have gotten.
Don’t get me wrong, there is potential, but this money could be better spent elsewhere.
[...] – Rich from This is Getting Old thinks the money should have been spent elsewhere. [...]