HOUSTON -- The Astros added a veteran pitcher prior to the Trade Deadline, although not one of the big names they had been linked to in recent weeks.Houston acquired left-handed pitcher Francisco Liriano from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for outfielders Norichika Aoki and Teoscar Hernandez. Liriano, who will join the team Tuesday, will pitch out of the bullpen, manager A.J. Hinch said.
Liriano, 33, was 6-5 in 18 starts for the Blue Jays in 2017 with a 5.88 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 82 2/3 innings. 
He has held left-handed hitters to a .226 average this season, allowing just one homer. In 11 Major League seasons, Liriano has posted a 102-97 record in 303 appearances (274 starts) with a 4.15 ERA.Liriano also has postseason experience, posting a 2-0 mark in six appearances (three starts) with a 3.97 ERA. He started and won the Pirates 2013 National League Wild Card Game victory over the Reds, allowing one run over seven innings."Francisco is a versatile left-handed pitcher that has had a great deal of success throughout his career," general manager Jeff Luhnow said. "He is a veteran with postseason experience that will help us down the stretch."Hernandez, the Astros' ninth-ranked prospect by MLBPipeline.com, is no stranger to Astros fans. He appeared in 41 games last year, hitting a homer in his Major League debut in Toronto. Hernandez was called up this April when Jake Marisnick went on the disabled list, and he suffered a lower leg bruise in his first game in a collision with Jose Altuve in Cleveland. He went on the disabled list and had been with Triple-A Fresno, where he was hitting .279 with 12 homers, 44 RBIs and 12 steals.Aoki, 35, was claimed off waivers in November and is owed nearly $2 million of his $5.5 million salary. He appeared in 71 games for the Astros this year, hitting .272 with a .323 on-base percentage. The trade paves the way for rookie outfielder Derek Fisher, who also bats left-handed, to remain on the roster for the rest of the season.Brian McTaggart / MLB.com
He has held left-handed hitters to a .226 average this season, allowing just one homer. In 11 Major League seasons, Liriano has posted a 102-97 record in 303 appearances (274 starts) with a 4.15 ERA.Liriano also has postseason experience, posting a 2-0 mark in six appearances (three starts) with a 3.97 ERA. He started and won the Pirates 2013 National League Wild Card Game victory over the Reds, allowing one run over seven innings."Francisco is a versatile left-handed pitcher that has had a great deal of success throughout his career," general manager Jeff Luhnow said. "He is a veteran with postseason experience that will help us down the stretch."Hernandez, the Astros' ninth-ranked prospect by MLBPipeline.com, is no stranger to Astros fans. He appeared in 41 games last year, hitting a homer in his Major League debut in Toronto. Hernandez was called up this April when Jake Marisnick went on the disabled list, and he suffered a lower leg bruise in his first game in a collision with Jose Altuve in Cleveland. He went on the disabled list and had been with Triple-A Fresno, where he was hitting .279 with 12 homers, 44 RBIs and 12 steals.Aoki, 35, was claimed off waivers in November and is owed nearly $2 million of his $5.5 million salary. He appeared in 71 games for the Astros this year, hitting .272 with a .323 on-base percentage. The trade paves the way for rookie outfielder Derek Fisher, who also bats left-handed, to remain on the roster for the rest of the season.Brian McTaggart / MLB.com
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
