The Detroit Tigers signed left-handed pitcher Francisco Liriano to a one-year, $4 Million deal on Friday.

The Detroit Tigers, who lost Justin Verlander at the trade deadline last year, desperately need pitching in 2018. The Tigers came dead last in the MLB with a 64-98 win-loss record, and with their rapidly declining veterans and lack of young players, they will not be expected to compete at all in 2018.

In 12 MLB seasons, Liriano has accumulated a 4.15 ERA and 1.35 WHIP-mostly as a starting pitcher. Francisco Liriano put up an underwhelming 5.66 ERA in 38 (18 of which were starts) games with the Houston Astros and the Toronto Blue Jays, striking out 85 and walking 53 in 97 innings. While he did pitch 2/3 of an inning for the Astros in the World Series and will get a ring, he had an overall meager season.

Liriano is clearly not being signed by the Tigers because they are eager to improve, but more so because they will need someone to eat up innings during the Tigers’ inevitably appalling 2018 season. While it is still unclear whether Liriano will be a relief pitcher for a starter in Detroit, he likely will not have a great deal of trouble sneaking into the Tigers’ mediocre pitching staff.

To be straightforward, Liriano will be eating up a lot of innings for the Detroit Tigers in a season where they will be lucky to not lose 100 games. Liriano will bring a veteran presence to a team that really does not need it, and will test the free agent waters once again in the 2018-19 offseason. While they are getting Liriano for a low price, and the deal can be seen as a low-risk-high-reward, Liriano will likely make little difference at the end of the day for the hapless Detroit Tigers.