Francisco Liriano went 7-10 with a 3.38 ERA in 29 starts for the Pirates in 2014. — GETTY IMAGES
DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS
News: Francisco Liriano rejects the Pirates’ qualifying offer at the mandated $15.3 million.
Views: Big whoop. Means next to nothing.
For those who don’t understand qualifying offers — and that apparently includes 100.1 percent of talk-show callers — these are made to help reimburse teams for losing star players to free agency. If a team qualifies a guy at the above price, it’s highly likely — though not guaranteed — to receive a compensation draft pick.
The team and the player are free to continue talking, as is the case with Russell Martin, who also rejected his qualifying offer. All players reject qualifying offers, and I mean that literally: No player has accepted his qualifying offer in the first three years the practice has been in place. No way Liriano or agent Greg Genske wanted to be pioneers in this regard.
If Liriano had accepted the offer, the Pirates would have had a good pitcher in the fold for a year. Now that he didn’t, they can continue to pursue that pitcher or — better yet, if you ask me — talk to Edinson Volquez about multiple years. Both will be 31 next year, but Volquez comes with far fewer stitches and, I believe, would come at a discount to stay with Ray Searage.
Meanwhile, a report from Martin’s native Canada says he’s seeking $75 million or more.
No one will pay that, will they?
November 10, 2014
News/views: Liriano rejects qualifying offer
by Dejan Kovacevic • News/views • Pirates
Francisco Liriano went 7-10 with a 3.38 ERA in 29 starts for the Pirates in 2014. — GETTY IMAGES
DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS
News: Francisco Liriano rejects the Pirates’ qualifying offer at the mandated $15.3 million.
Views: Big whoop. Means next to nothing.
For those who don’t understand qualifying offers — and that apparently includes 100.1 percent of talk-show callers — these are made to help reimburse teams for losing star players to free agency. If a team qualifies a guy at the above price, it’s highly likely — though not guaranteed — to receive a compensation draft pick.
The team and the player are free to continue talking, as is the case with Russell Martin, who also rejected his qualifying offer. All players reject qualifying offers, and I mean that literally: No player has accepted his qualifying offer in the first three years the practice has been in place. No way Liriano or agent Greg Genske wanted to be pioneers in this regard.
If Liriano had accepted the offer, the Pirates would have had a good pitcher in the fold for a year. Now that he didn’t, they can continue to pursue that pitcher or — better yet, if you ask me — talk to Edinson Volquez about multiple years. Both will be 31 next year, but Volquez comes with far fewer stitches and, I believe, would come at a discount to stay with Ray Searage.
Meanwhile, a report from Martin’s native Canada says he’s seeking $75 million or more.
No one will pay that, will they?