The official word is out. Twins starting pitcher, and temporary 2006 fantasy baseball savior, Francisco Liriano will undergo Tommy John surgery.
There could be no better news for fantasy owners.
No longer will a 3rd/4th round pick be at risk in 2007 drafts. No longer will some team get caught up in the moment of the draft and bid $25+ on him.
The only risk for 2007 is in non-keeper leagues. Someone may use a late pick on him and lose out on using that pick on a less risk/higher reward 2007 pitcher like Kevin Correia or Jonathan Sanchez.
For my draft dollars, Liriano is a mid-teens pitcher in keeper leagues. With the typical post-draft pitching pool, he can be replaced with a decent option.
I'll just cross my fingers and hope Liriano's recovery from TJS doesn't take the path of former Ranger Jeff Zimmerman! That middle reliever won't be worth the spent draft dollars in 2008.