Francisco Liriano, a left-handed veteran of 14 big-league seasons, announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on Monday. Liriano's agent Mike Maulini confirmed the news to FanSided's Robert Murray.
Liriano made his big-league debut during the 2005 season, a couple of summers after being shipped to the Minnesota Twins as part of an ill-fated trade with the San Francisco Giants that involved A.J. Pierzynski and Joe Nathan. He became a force to be reckoned with almost immediately thanks to his trademark slider, as he posted a 2.16 ERA in 121 innings in 2006 en route to what proved to be his only career All-Star Game appearance.
Liriano would miss the subsequent season because of Tommy John surgery. He would rebound and receive Cy Young Award consideration in 2010, something he did just one other time in his career: in 2013, then as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Overall, he finished with 419 appearances (300 of them starts) and a 4.15 ERA (99 ERA+) and a 2.22 strikeout-to-walk ratio, as well as 18 Wins Above Replacement. Liriano also threw a no-hitter for the Twins against the White Sox in 2011.
Liriano, who celebrated his 38th birthday in October, had not pitched in the majors since 2019 despite latching on with the Philadelphia Phillies and the Toronto Blue Jays in each of the past two offseasons. Alas, Liriano was released by the Blue Jays last March despite not allowing a run in seven innings of spring training work.
In addition to the Twins and Pirates, Liriano also spent time in The Show with the Chicago White Sox, the Houston Astros, the Blue Jays (in a separate stint), and the Detroit Tigers. His final big-league stint, also with the Pirates, saw him appear in 69 games and post a 3.47 ERA (125 ERA+) and a 1.80 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
