Francisco Liriano declined the Pittsburgh Pirates‘ initial qualifying offer but was able to negotiate and secure a long-term deal to remain with the club on Tuesday.
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports Liriano is in Pittsburgh to stay after signing a new three-year contract:
HardballTalk.com’s Aaron Gleeman highlights how impressive Liriano has been during his two years in Pittsburgh:
Battle-tested, resilient starters like Liriano, who is still capable of performing at an All-Star level, are difficult to come by. The premium placed on starting pitching, often a catalyst for postseason success, bolsters Liriano’s value even more.
Liriano, 31, has experienced a number of peaks and valleys throughout his MLB career, evident in his two Comeback Player of the Year awards (2010, 2013). All the adversity that preceded this and the hard work Liriano put in to overcome the hurdles along the way have culminated in a fresh, promising situation in Pittsburgh.
The Pirates have undergone a dramatic change in culture, making the postseason each of the past two seasons after a prolonged playoff drought that began in 1993. Liriano’s arrival coincided with the change, making him a valuable cornerstone to keep in the clubhouse.
A victim of underwhelming run support in 2014, Liriano had a stellar 3.38 ERA but managed just a 7-10 record in 29 starts.
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