Liriano will have surgery
Francisco Liriano has decided to undergo Tommy John surgery after months of questioning whether strength training was an effective option. Liriano will have the procedure done on Monday and will then immediately begin on what's expected to be 18 months of rehab. The chances of him returning during 2007 is virtually zero and even when he returns in 2008 there may be questions marks as to how effective he will be.
The absence of Liriano drastically changes the makeup of the Twins rotation. They go from two dominant pitchers to one and possibly four questionable starters. This news cements the Twins need to sign a free agent pitcher this off season. While the top few options are unlikely for the Twins, there is a small handful of middle-tier pitchers that could contribute, but they're not going to come cheap. Here's a list of some of the pitchers who might be available:
- Barry Zito
- Greg Maddux
- Mark Mulder
- Jason Schmidt
- Kerry Wood
- Ted Lilly
- Adam Eaton
- Jeff Suppan
- Jeff Weaver
- Mark Redman
- Vicente Padilla
- Russ Ortiz
- Woody Williams
- Jason Johnson
- Orlando Hernandez
- Miguel Batista
- Steve Trachsel
The top five are likely beyond the Twins' reach, but guys like Lilly and Eaton would be a good addition to the rotation. A full list can be found at ESPN.com.
Topics: Francisco Liriano, Ted Lilly, Tommy John, Adam Eaton, Barry Zito, Greg Maddux, Mark Mulder, Jason Schmidt, Kerry Wood, Jeff Suppan
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