Francisco Liriano Reportedly Receiving Trade Interest from Cubs, Dodgers, Twins

While Francisco Liriano is enduring one of the worst seasons in his MLB career, the Toronto Blue Jays left-hander reportedly still has potential suitors on the trade market. 

FanRag Sports' Robert Murray reported Thursday the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Minnesota Twins have all expressed a level of interest in Liriano.

The New York Post's Joel Sherman reported the Kansas City Royals also had Liriano on their radar, with Kansas City focusing more so on the 2006 All-Star over Marco Estrada.

According to MLB Network's Ken Rosenthal, "most interested clubs" see Liriano as a reliever rather than a starter for the remainder of the season.

Through 17 starts, Liriano is 6-5 with a 5.99 ERA and a 4.92 FIP, per FanGraphs.

To some extent, the 33-year-old has been a victim of bad luck. Opposing hitters are batting .332 on balls in play, which is tied for 115th among starting pitchers with at least 70 innings, according to FanGraphs.

However, Liriano is also striking out nearly one fewer batter and walking nearly one batter more per nine innings over his career averages. He's averaging 8.22 strikeouts and 4.93 walks per nine innings, compared to 9.21 and 3.95, respectively over his 12 years in MLB.

Despite his struggles on the mound, Liriano would be a cost-effective option for playoff contenders looking for pitching depth, whether it be for the starting rotation or the bullpen.