The Blue Jays have granted left-hander Francisco Liriano his release, tweets Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi, who notes that the veteran had an opt-out over the weekend.
This news means Liriano is unlikely to have a second tenure in the majors as a member of the Blue Jays, with whom he pitched from 2016-17. Liriano worked almost exclusively as a start then, but he spent this spring vying for a role in Toronto’s bullpen. The 37-year-old was highly effective, as he tossed 7 1/3 scoreless innings of four-hit, three-walk ball with six strikeouts, but that wasn’t enough to earn a role in the Blue Jays’ season-opening relief corps. It appears they’ll go into the season with Tim Mayza and Ryan Borucki as the primary lefties in their bullpen.
Liriano, who signed a minors deal in the offseason, will head back to the free-agent market with a solid resume. While Liriano hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2019, he does own a lifetime 4.15 ERA in a combined 1,813 2/3 innings with several teams.
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