Even if the Twins don't deal him, the starter doesn't appear to be in team's
long-term plans.
With six pitchers vying for five spots in the Twins starting rotation, one
possible solution is trading Francisco Liriano. Speaking to team officials
recently, I've been surprised how open they are to this possibility, but the
logic makes sense.
Liriano, 27, can become a free agent after the 2012 season. Coming off a
resurgent year, he might never have a higher trade value.
One thing is clear: The Twins don't plan to sign him long term. Last weekend,
they avoided arbitration with a one-year, $4.3 million deal. From what I've
heard, their long-term talks went nowhere, with Liriano's camp hinting it
wanted a three-year, $39 million contract.
Even if that was just a starting point for negotiations