Livan Hernadez

[brewers255]

Olney: D'Backs Could Trade Livan Hernandez

ESPN's Buster Olney brings up one available starting pitcher we haven't mentioned here anytime recently: Livan Hernandez. It hadn't really occurred to me that the Diamondbacks could be sellers. But according to various playoff odds reports, their chances of making the playoffs have slipped to 3-8%.

 

Hernandez reaches free agency after this season, and it seems likely the D'Backs would let him leave. Trading him now could make some sense. He's got about $2.7MM left on his contract this year. As Olney says, Hernandez's main virtue is durability. He will take the ball every fifth day and give you six innings. He's no longer the seven inning per start horse he was from 1998-2005; his average is now around 6.3 innings per start.

 

As far as playoff experience...would a team like the Mets really want to give him a playoff start? I wouldn't think so. No doubt the NLCS MVP version we saw in '97 is a distant memory, and even his work for the Giants in '02 is five years removed.

 

Olney believes strong offensive NL teams like the Braves, Mets, or Phillies could take a look at Livan. The Brewers, Dodgers, and Padres may also be looking to add a starter.

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

 

Thoughts? He could be a really good # 4 or # 5.

[molitor fan]

I mentioned this in the chat area, but I was at the game on Tursday in which he pitched, and he is DONE.

 

He topped out at 84 and was generally at 80 with his fastball. I felt the Brewers could have hung a real bundle of runs on him on Thursday.

[crewcrazy]

I don't see him outpitching Claudio Vargas...at this point in Livan's career, that's probably as good as he could possibly be. Like mlbtraderumors said, he's not going to go 7-8 innings consistently anymore. Claudio's cheaper and already on our team, so it'd make more sense to hang onto Vargas and avoid Hernandez, IMO.

[brettac1]

Livan now is one of those guys that signs with a different rebuilding team every season and eats innings for them so they don't have to rush their young pitchers.