Looking Towards The Farm

The Twins made a decision at the deadline that made me happy. It was a decision that kept Alfonso Soriano from patrolling second base for us, but I think it was the right choice. Even if we could have made the playoffs with Soriano, we didn't have a great team and were not going to win in October.

What was this decision? We decided to hold onto Francisco Liriano. The fans should get their first glimpse at Mr. Liriano in September when the 25 man roster expands to a 40 man roster. It should be something exciting to look forward to with our playoff chances dwindling daily.

So what is the big deal? He has 3 big league ready pitches and was named the best pitching prospect in the International League by Baseball America. He backs up the praise of his abilities with his performance.

Last Thursday, Francisco struck out 13 and allowed a single hit in seven innings of work. This year for Rochester he has a record of 6-1 with a 1.62 ERA and a WHIP of 0.74.

Even more amazing than his numbers are the fact that he is only 21 years old. Not to mention left handed. I know that every other team in the Majors will envy our left handed duo of Johan Santana and Francisco Liriano for years to come.

It is interesting to note that Liriano was a piece of what may be remembered as the greatest trade in franchise history. He came over with Joe Nathan for AJ. The Giants had major problems with AJ and he is no longer on their roster while Nathan has become one of the games greatest relievers. If Liriano lives up to his ability, the Giants may never talk to Terry Ryan again.