Francisco Liriano originally agreed to a two-year, $12.75 million contract with the Pirates in December, but the two sides went back to the negotiating table after he broke his right (non-throwing) arm in a bathroom fall. The deal was finalized yesterday as a one-year, $1 million contract with a vesting option for 2014, but now that we have the details of the adjusted deal, it’s easier to understand why it took so long to negotiate.
Per Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Liriano can earn as much as $4.75 million this season based on the disabled list due to his arm injury. According to CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman, the option for 2014 can vest at $5 million, $6 million or $8 million depending on days spent on the disabled list in 2013. If the deal vests at either $5 million or $6 million, he can make up the difference between the vesting salary and the full $8 million based on games started in 2014. Got all that? Good.
Liriano, 29, compiled a 5.34 ERA and 167/87 K/BB ratio over 156 2/3 innings last season between the Twins and White Sox. If healthy, the southpaw is projected to be in Pittsburgh’s rotation alongside A.J. Burnett, Wandy Rodriguez, James McDonald and Jeff Karstens.
