Liriano 'happy to be back,' aims for 'pen role

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Three years ago, Francisco Liriano threw out the first pitch of the season at PNC Park. On Wednesday afternoon at LECOM Park, he wasn’t even the first pitcher to take the mound in a Pirates uniform.

This is the new normal for Liriano, Pittsburgh’s Opening Day starter from 2014-16 who is now vying for a spot in the Opening Day bullpen.

“It feels a little bit weird, knowing I have to make the team and stuff like that. But I’m just happy to be back and see the guys and coaches that I was with before,” Liriano said. “Trying to fit in with everybody, the new guys and the young guys. Just trying to be part of the team, have fun and do what I can to make the team.”

Liriano chose to sign a Minor League contract with the Pirates after receiving a number of similar offers this offseason. His familiarity with Pittsburgh helped bring him back. Some of his best seasons came under the watchful eyes of pitching coach Ray Searage and bullpen coach Euclides Rojas, and he worked well with catcher Francisco Cervelli in 2015.

But things fell apart for Liriano in 2016 as he posted a 5.46 ERA in 21 starts for the Pirates. The club shipped Liriano, the remainder of his $39 million contract and two Minor Leaguers to the Blue Jays in exchange for right-hander Drew Hutchison, who made only six appearances for Pittsburgh. Liriano understood the move, but it was tough for him to be dealt away.

“I’m not going to lie: I didn’t want to leave here,” he said. “It is what it is. Everything happens for a reason. There’s nothing you can do sometimes. You’ve got to go with it and keep pitching and playing.”

Liriano has done that. He went from Toronto’s rotation to Houston’s bullpen in 2017 and wound up winning a World Series with the Astros. He appreciated the opportunity to play with and learn from a respected veteran like Carlos Beltrán, young stars like Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa and a respected bench coach-turned-manager in Alex Cora.

“You never stop learning in this game,” Liriano said. “You’ve got to be open-minded to learning every day, no matter how long you’ve been playing.”

To that end, Liriano is developing a new mentality to fit his new role. After going from the rotation to the bullpen and back again over the last two years, Liriano is now a reliever. The Pirates were intrigued by his 2018 success against left-handed hitters and when facing opponents for the first time, skills that are best utilized in short bursts rather than over five or six innings.

“Just go out there and attack the hitter, give everything I have from the first hitter that I see,” Liriano said.

The veteran left-hander pitched a clean fourth inning in the Pirates’ 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays on Wednesday, recording two groundouts and a flyout to center field. The Pirates will increase Liriano’s workload over the next month, manager Clint Hurdle said, giving him an opportunity to pitch multiple innings.

Liriano can reportedly opt out of his contract if he is not on the Pirates’ 40-man roster by March 20 or their active roster by June 1. That gives the Pirates time to sort through their relief options this spring; they have three or four spots available in their bullpen and far more candidates than that.

If Liriano cracks the roster, the Pirates believe they will benefit from his experience as much as his four-pitch mix out of the bullpen.

“He knows how to get along with everybody,” said starter Joe Musgrove, Liriano’s teammate in Houston. “The stuff on the field speaks for itself, but the stuff off the field is also just as important. I think he’s going to be a really good addition for us.”