Article: Twins Trade Francisco Liriano To White Sox

[Top Gun]

Twins acquired LHP Pedro Hernandez and INF Eduardo Escobar from the White Sox for LHP Francisco Liriano.

 

Hernandez was shelled for eight runs on 12 hits over just four innings earlier this season in his major league debut and hasn't been back since. He has a cool 2.94 ERA this year on the farm, but he's also sporting a weak 5.7 K/9. The 23-year-old southpaw simply does not possess dominant stuff

[FrodaddyG]

First of all, you have to offer him more than $12 million and have him turn it down to get a comp pick. I don't think Liriano's turning that down, because despite the "wisdom" shown on this board, major league GMs know he isn't worth that money. So we'd be stuck sinking too much money into a guy with a 5 ERA, and come next season we're in the exact same position.

 

Second of all, you get one sandwich pick, and statistically, that one pick isn't likely to be a good major league player. Hell, many of those picks don't even make it to AAA. On the other hand, you trade Liriano for what we traded him for, and you get... two AAA players! Including one who was just traded for Carlos Quentin. I think some people here might be bad at math.

As I stated in a different reply, someone is offering Liriano multiple years at well over $12M. If someone offers him $20M, even over 3 years, that's an extra $7.5M for a guy who has already had two serious arm injuries in his career. He's not taking the qualifying offer and saying "I'll get paid next year". He's taking the money and running, since he knows if he has one more arm issue, there is no more "next year" for his baseball career.

 

And as far as "two AAA players" goes: One has a mid 600s OPS in 2500 minors PAs, and the other profiles as a reliever at best, and has progressively struck out less and less batters as he moved up, to where he's now at a Pavano-esque level. (Unless the staggeringly large 17 IP sample in AAA is to be believed. Which it most assuredly isn't.) Yippee.

[Top Gun]

Twins acquired INF Eduardo Escobar and LHP Pedro Hernandez from the White Sox for LHP Francisco Liriano.

 

Escobar is batting just .207/.281/.276 in 36 major league games this season and produced a weak .666 OPS across 579 games in the minors. He's only 23 years old but the infielder seems doubtful to ever become a reliable everyday player in the bigs.

[SDTwinsFan]

Honestly, I don't care about the prospects. I'm just absolutely furious he went to the White Sox....

[Bark's Lounge]

Although this trade smells of the rotting private parts of a dead giraffe in the hot African sun... maybe there is a silver lining to this trade. I do not want to mention his given christian name, but the Latino Pitcher Whisperer should now be given his walking papers... oh ****... we still have Deduno. My bad.

[70charger]

Honestly, I don't care about the prospects. I'm just absolutely furious he went to the White Sox....

Meh. Career win-loss record post-Tommy John is 38-49.

 

Rather than losing games for the Twins, he can now lose games against the Twins.

[Rivas#1Fan]

Come on guys! Liriano is not good enough to warrant 4+ pages worth of discussions of his trade.

[FrodaddyG]

That's a good point, there maybe someone out there willing to give him 3/$20. But I don't think that he could turn down $12 for one year if we offered it to him. Even if there was a 25% chance of him taking the offer, we can't afford to make that mistake. We don't want him pitching for us anymore. that decision had been made. We can't afford to make him an offer, or he might accept.

Say I offer you $50K (paid up front) to work for my company next year. I then offer you $100K (all up front) to work for my company for the next for three years, but there's a 10% chance you'll be crippled in a car accident in the next year and never work again. Either way, you keep all the money. Which do you take?

[FrodaddyG]

Dude, look up the new CBA and while you're at it, quit spewing this line.

The CBA where the Twins give a qualifying offer and get a comp pick when he declines? That CBA?

[gunnarthor]

Say I offer you $50K (paid up front) to work for my company next year. I then offer you $100K (all up front) to work for my company for the next for three years, but there's a 10% chance you'll be crippled in a car accident in the next year and never work again. Either way, you keep all the money. Which do you take?

The problem is you're assuming another team would be dumb enough to offer Liriano a multi-year contract. There's no reason to think that happens. If he finishes the season pitching like he had been over the last month, then maybe someone takes that gamble. If he continues to struggle (a good bet with his track record) no one makes that offer.

[DaveW]

After his last start against them I'm guessing the white sox wanted him for bp

[FrodaddyG]

The problem is you're assuming another team would be dumb enough to offer Liriano a multi-year contract. There's no reason to think that happens. If he finishes the season pitching like he had been over the last month, then maybe someone takes that gamble. If he continues to struggle (a good bet with his track record) no one makes that offer.

Someone is offering him a multi-year deal. This I promise you. The flashes of dominance he shows are like GM catnip for a free agent. It's not liek there's going to be a huge crop of great FA pitchers this offseason.

[Badsmerf]

I'm speechless. Actually, **** it. This team is going to be **** for a while, might as well roll in it.

[nicksaviking]

Come on guys! Liriano is not good enough to warrant 4+ pages worth of discussions of his trade.

Trading only the 2nd starter who can boast a career K/9 over 7.80 for such a light haul seems like a big deal to me.

[Top Gun]

Twins acquired INF Eduardo Escobar and LHP Pedro Hernandez from the White Sox for LHP Francisco Liriano.

 

Escobar is batting just .207/.281/.276 in 36 major league games this season and produced a weak .666 OPS across 579 games in the minors. He's only 23 years old but the infielder seems doubtful to ever become a reliable everyday player in the bigs.

[Rivas#1Fan]

On the bright side, this trade is going to save me the money I would have had to spend on cotton candy for the nephew, when I'm able to leave early after Duensing gives up 8 runs in 5 innings.

[minn55441]

Say I offer you $50K (paid up front) to work for my company next year. I then offer you $100K (all up front) to work for my company for the next for three years, but there's a 10% chance you'll be crippled in a car accident in the next year and never work again. Either way, you keep all the money. Which do you take?

I understand, but the point of the matter is that you don't get both offers at the same time. I have to yes or no to the 50K for one year, without knowing what other offers are out there.

 

I'll take the 50K for one year and I think Frankie would take the 12+ million for next year and worry about his contract for 2014 later.

[John Bonnes]

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php?849-Twins-Trade-Francisco-Liriano-To-White-Sox

[Bark's Lounge]

Twins trade make Bark sad. Bark want smash things!

[70charger]

Trading only the 2nd starter who can boast a career K/9 over 7.80 for such a light haul seems like a big deal to me.

Peripheral. Even if you include his ridiculously dominant 2006 campaign, Liriano has a career ERA+ of 97.

 

Leave out the 2006 season he's been staking his reputation on for six whole years and he's a pretty crappy pitcher.

[greengoblinrulz]

Just an observation....

MN seems to be more likely to trade for a player w/MLB experience than bring up their own

How often have the Twins called up a player to make their debut @ 23 or younger (not including Sept callups).....not often

Both players obtained today @ 23 made their MLB debuts this year

Delmon, CGomez both made their debuts with another team @ 21...Lester Oliveras was 23 w/DET

Of this roster....Mauer is one @ 21, Alex Burnett was 22, Liam Hendriks was 22 (Sept) , Perk was 23 (Sept..4gms) Alexi was 21 (Sept), Justin 22, Revere 22 (Sept), Benson/Parmellee (both 23 & Sept callups).

[YourHouseIsMyHouse]

Every night I will cry myself to sleep upon having to see Liriano pitch for the White Sox. Awful trade and I'd almost rather keep Liriano for half a season than get those scrubs.

[elephanthater]

i agree, we got nothing out of this. I just do not get this dumping of players to division rivals for no talent in return (delmon last year to tigers, and now this).

[John Bonnes]

The ONLY was I can think to justify this trade is if they thing or know that Liriano is hurt, possibly seriously hurt. Otherwise, this is just foolish.

[Rivas#1Fan]

Just an observation....

MN seems to be more likely to trade for a player w/MLB experience than bring up their own

How often have the Twins called up a player to make their debut @ 23 or younger (not including Sept callups).....not often

Both players obtained today @ 23 made their MLB debuts this year

Delmon, CGomez both made their debuts with another team @ 21...Lester Oliveras was 23 w/DET

Of this roster....Mauer is one @ 21, Alex Burnett was 22, Liam Hendriks was 22 (Sept) , Perk was 23 (Sept..4gms) Alexi was 22, Justin 22, Revere 22 (Sept), Benson/Parmellee (both 23 & Sept callups).

You would think that if a team were truly rebuilding this number should be higher. Why not see what you have in house before signing or trading for a veteran (looking at your Jim Hoey, Jeff Gray, Jamey Carrol, etc.)?

[one_eyed_jack]

I assumed Frankie would be traded, but I'm surprised it was to the Whities. I also thought we might get a little more than that, but then again, how much can you really expect for a rental of an enigma?

 

Oh well, may he be as frustrating for the Whities as he's been for the Twins.

 

Suppose there's a game 163 between Detroit and Chicago, and it comes down to a battle between Frankie and Delmon - what would happen? Would that violate the laws of physics or something? They couldn't both lose the game for their team on the same play.

[greengoblinrulz]

Just an observation....

MN seems to be more likely to trade for a player w/MLB experience than bring up their own

How often have the Twins called up a player to make their debut @ 23 or younger (not including Sept callups).....not often

Both players obtained today @ 23 made their MLB debuts this year

Delmon, CGomez both made their debuts with another team @ 21...Lester Oliveras was 23 w/DET

Of this roster....Mauer is one @ 21, Alex Burnett was 22, Liam Hendriks was 22 (Sept) , Perk was 23 (Sept..4gms) Alexi was 22, Justin 22, Revere 22 (Sept), Benson/Parmellee (both 23 & Sept callups).

@ Rochester

Luke French was 23 in his debut w/SEA, Eric Hurley was 22 w/TEX, Shairon Martis was 21 w/Wash, Sean Burroughs was 21 w/SD......so its not always a good thing

[Bark's Lounge]

I started a joke, which started the whole world crying,

But I didn't see that the joke was on me, oh no.

[Ultima Ratio]

I'll bet Liriano was inoculated with a latent microbe by the Twins medical staff and shipped to the ChiSux in order to infect them in the coming years. Crapsylitocus, I believe it is called. Symptoms are diverse and not well documented but they are chronic and invasive.

[raindog]

i agree, we got nothing out of this. I just do not get this dumping of players to division rivals for no talent in return (delmon last year to tigers, and now this).

Big difference, Delmon Young sucks.