Hey, so apparently as I hit publish on the piece below, this became a done deal. Ignore all the stuff about teams other than the Astros below — Shi Davidi has the word:

I’ll write up a new post with some details on whoever is coming back this way once it’s known.

Hey! It’s the trade deadline!

The Jays have been insistent on bringing a mere saucer to this buffet, so it’s not likely they’re going to walk away with a whole lot. But they’re still trying things, it seems. Last night I wrote about the Jays’ interest in the Memphis Redbirds, and what that possibly meant for the Cardinals’ interest in Joe Smith. Today, it’s Francisco Liriano’s name that has so far generated the most attention. The big one, and the most recent one (at the time of this writing), coming from the man himself, Ken Rosenthal:

Shi Davidi adds that most interested teams have been looking at Liriano as a reliever, rather than a starter. While Robert Murray of Fan Rag has heard the Astros, as well as the Royals, Twins, Dodgers, and Cubs. Bob Nightengale goes the farthest of them all, and tells us that the Astros are “on the verge of acquiring” Liriano.

Am I going to comb through those clubs’ systems to figure out what the potential return for Liriano might be? I am not! Especially with the Astros “in the lead” in what we’re supposed to believe is a horse race. But what I’ll say here is this: I kinda hope it’s a team like the Royals that the Jays send him to, instead of the Astros.

Why? Well, for one, I don’t know that I really take the Twins thing seriously. And the other teams? They’ve got a bit of money.

If the Jays are going to get anything beyond some shitty PTBNL here, it’s going to be by eating all of those dollars left on Liriano’s contract. Moving him without eating the money will, I’m confident, get them nothing. Let’s flex a little financial muscle here, boys!

As for a potential deal…. meh. I don’t think even eating the money will get them a whole lot back. And while moving Liriano out of the rotation will create a bit of a hole, it won’t be all that much bigger than the one they had in the rotation most of the year with him in it *COUGH*. We shall see, I guess!

MORE FORTHCOMING?