Detroit Tigers: Francisco Liriano is in the starting rotation

The Detroit Tigers have announced that LHP Francisco Liriano will be in the starting rotation this season.

The Detroit Tigers have announced that Francisco Liriano will be in the starting rotation when Opening Day rolls around. Both ace Michael Fulmer and Liriano are the only two pitchers to have spots locked up for this season’s starting rotation.

Per ESPN, skipper Ron Gardenhire stated the following on the veteran lefty.

Liriano isn’t fighting with anybody. We brought him for a reason. I think we need his veteran experience in that rotation, and if he’s healthy and well, I’m sure that’s where he’ll be,” Gardenhire told reporters, according to mlive.com.

The remaining three spots are down to Jordan Zimmerman, Mike Fiers, Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd. Per Evan Woodbery of MLive, Norris is still fighting for a spot in the rotation.

“I’m not going to say who’s fighting each other,” Gardenhire said. “It is what it is. We’re just trying to find five guys to start. It isn’t any mano y mano stuff.

There hasn’t been any talk about moving either Zimmerman or Fiers to the bullpen. Both pitchers have a combined salary of $31 million for the 2018 season. That realistically only leaves Boyd and Norris as pitchers competing for a job during the rest of spring training.

With four pitchers remaining and only three spots, Norris seems the most likely to not end up in the starting rotation. Matt Boyd is out of options and if he doesn’t make the starting day roster he would be put on waivers.

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It’s likely that a team would claim Boyd off of waivers. Norris, meanwhile, still has a minor league option left so that gives the Detroit Tigers some flexibility in keeping their younger pitchers.   Boyd has been a workhorse with Triple-A Toledo, posting solid numbers. Those numbers haven’t transitioned as well to the majors.

If Boyd had an option left, he might have gone down instead of Norris. He’s logged over 300 innings of work in the minors while posting a 2.47 ERA. It seems that this is the year for Boyd to show he can translate that production into the major leagues.