BLUE JAYS ADD LEFTY STARTER LIRIANO
The Toronto Blue Jays acquired pitcher Francisco Liriano, outfielder Harold Ramirez and catcher Reese McGuire from the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitcher Drew Hutchison.
What does it give the Toronto Blue Jays
Wow. This was a weird trade, mainly because the team with World Series aspirations (Toronto) was the club that acquired two top prospects in this transaction. That is because the Jays accepted Liriano's full contract for 2017 ($13 million) with the hope he can be an instant rotation upgrade and give them some longevity. In Ramirez and McGuire, the Jays also add two solid prospects who could be in much better situations moving from Pittsburgh to Toronto. It is a solid move by the Jays.
What does it give the Pittsburgh Pirates
Speaking of being in a much better situation, the Pirates are hoping Hutchison can become a mainstay in their rotation. They obviously like his potential, despite his up-and-down big-league career to date. Losing Ramirez and McGuire hurts Pittsburgh's prospect pool but they are loaded in the outfield and have concerns about McGuire's ability to hit at the big-league level. At the end of the day, this deal works for the Bucs because they were able to get rid of Liriano's inflated contract.
Fantasy impact
Liriano may be much better in Toronto, since he has always pitched well with catcher Russell Martin as his battery mate. His stock is rising, as is that of Hutchison and Ramirez (both of whom are now in better long-term situations). McGuire's stock remains the same until he can prove himself with the bat.
