From cnnsi.com:

After fading during the second half of the 2012 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates should look to reload this offseason. Last year, they acquired A.J. Burnett and Erik Bedard and made a push for Edwin Jackson. This offseason, one name they may look to go after is Francisco Liriano who fits a lot of what the club is looking for with his mix of experience and upside. Rum Bunter

Liriano was a stud when he first came up.  I think he kept throwing even though his arm had issues.  He hasn't been the same since the injury, although he did have one good season.

He's posted ERAs over 5 in three of his past four seasons, including 5.34 this year.

So he'll fit right in!!!

good low risk, high reward guy. Bring him to compete for the 5th starting job at worst he can compete with Justin willson as the number 2 lefty in the pen.

He's going to be too expensive to be a #5 starter or a bullpen guy.

And we already have plenty #5 starters.

gr1111 wrote: He's going to be too expensive to be a #5 starter or a bullpen guy.

And we already have plenty #5 starters.

Agreed entirely.  No, No, NO to Liriano.  Either break the bank (in dollars or prospects traded) to get an impact veteran in here, or go with the kids once we get past Burnett and Wandy.

you guys think he will get much more than than 4.5 we paid Bedard, well if that is the case then yeah pass.

kdog341 wrote: you guys think he will get much more than than 4.5 we paid Bedard, well if that is the case then yeah pass.

Bedard was getting that much based on the hope that he's be our #3, not #5 and end up being released.  That being said, I wouldn't want a guy like Liriano who has stunk for some many consecutive years.  I'd much rather give the innings/starts to the kids and see what they've got.

You get a Bedard or a Liriano on the HOPE that they have a bounce-back type year in which they recapture some of their prior magic.

Bedard hadn't been very good for a while, but the hope was that he had been injured -- and that once healthy he could be his former self.  It actually seemed to work for a while, as he was good in April and May.  But he faded.

With Liriano, you would hope that he recaptures 2010, when he went 14-10 with a 3.62 ERA (and 200 strikeouts in 191 innings).  He hasn't been that good since then.