-It wasn't that long ago that Francisco Liriano was Baseball's "Next Big Thing." He was originally signed by the Giants, but was acquired by the Twins in the easily forgettable trade that brought A.J. Pierzynski to the bay. After starting his rookie year in the pen, Liriano took advantage of an opportunity to start, and immediately became one of the league's best hurlers. He went 12-3 in just 16 starts, with a 2.13 era. Those are impressive numbers for any pitcher, let alone a 23-year-old rook in his first full season. He won 2 AL Rookie of the month awards that year, and would have finished with the lowest era had he not been injured before he could reach the minimum innings pitched to be considered. The injury also cost him a shot at Rookie of the Year honors, something he was considered a pretty safe lock for had he remained healthy. "Had he remained healthy" then became a phrase synonymous with the rest of Liriano's career so far.
Shortly after that 2006 season he had Tommy John surgery, a procedure to replace the ligament in the elbow that gets worn out when someone throws a baseball 500 times a day. The twisting motion of a slider does the most damage, and that was Liriano's go to pitch. He missed the entire 2007 season. By the time he returned in 2008, people had already forgotten about him. He plays in a small market, for a team that wasn't spectacularly good or bad. He pitched in and out of the minors that year, but finished strong with a 3-0 record to close the season in the majors.
This season, the wheels have totally fallen off the wagon. He is 5-13 with an era that's a shade under 6, and a 1.56 whip (walks+hits per inning pitched). His fastball is nearly what it was. He went from throwing in the mid to high 90's to throwing in the low to mid 90's. You can win with a 93 mph fastball that isn't the issue. He just can not get his slider to turn over anymore; there is no where near as much movement on it as when he was dominant. So now he has to pitch to the corners, and throw way more change-ups than he wants. The results speak for themselves.
I'm writing about Francisco, because no one seems to care whats going on with this sure thing prospect who is still only 25-years old. I am calling it now (and I expect to be held accountable) Liriano finishes next year with at least 10 wins, and a winning record. It took Chris Carpenter a few years to bounce back from Tommy John, and now he is back to being a Cy Young candidate. I'm hoping that its the same with Liriano.
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