MLB Trade Deadline: 30 players most likely to move

21. Francisco Liriano, SP, Toronto Blue Jays

Big league clubs can never have enough left-handed pitching – especially lefties with swing-and-miss stuff. Though Francisco Liriano has posted some ugly numbers this season – particularly a 5.56 ERA in 14 starts – he could still be a valuable addition for a contending team down the stretch.

After all, Liriano posted a 5.46 ERA in 21 starts with the Pirates last season before a trade deadline deal sent him to Toronto. Then, in 10 appearances with the Blue Jays including eight starts, Liriano posted a 2.92 ERA with 52 strikeouts in 49.1 innings and helped the club make it to the postseason. Also, his 4.68 FIP suggests Liriano has been a little bit better than his inflated ERA so far this season. And for what it’s worth, the Blue Jays are 9-5 in the games in which Liriano has started this year – so he’s given his team a chance to win.

That said, Liriano has been far more hittable than usual. His 9.9 hits allowed per nine innings is the worst of his career. He’s also struck out just 62 hitters in 68 innings – which equates to an 8.2 K/9 average that would be his worst since 2011.

Like many of the players on our list, Liriano is in the final year of his contract and will be a free agent at the end of the season. And, like most listed here, he plays for a club that figures to be sellers. Combined with his lackluster numbers through the first half of the season, it appears the Blue Jays won’t get much more than a mid-level prospect for Liriano. Still, a contending team in need of a lefty starter, such as the Rays or Indians, or his former club, the Twins, may take a flier and hope Liriano can put together a late 2016-like performance in 2017.