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Phillies nonroster invitee Francisco Liriano has mixed emotions about World Series ring he won with Houston

Liriano does not want to give back the World Series ring he earned after being traded from Toronto that season, but he's not comfortable talking about it, either.

Phillies non-roster invitee Francisco Liriano won a World Series with the Houston Astros in 2017.
Phillies non-roster invitee Francisco Liriano won a World Series with the Houston Astros in 2017.Read moreDAVID MAIALETTI / Staff Photographer

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Veteran pitcher Francisco Liriano, a nonroster invitee, is the only player in the Phillies clubhouse who was part of the Houston Astros’ controversial run to the 2017 World Series title. Liriano, after being dealt to Houston from Toronto at the trade deadline, made 20 relief appearances during the regular season and five more in the postseason.

The 36-year-old lefty was reluctant to answer questions about the Houston cheating scandal that rocked the baseball world last month and has lingered into spring training.

“I don’t have much to say about it,” he said Wednesday. “I was in the bullpen, and I didn’t see anything that was going on when I was there.”

He was asked if he was upset that the legitimacy of Houston’s first World Series title has been tarnished by Major League Baseball’s findings and its actions after the sign-stealing scandal.

“A little bit,” he said. “They had some great players, too. They had a pretty good team. Last year’s team won a lot of games, too, and I don’t think they were doing the same things. They still won their division and made it to the playoffs.”

Liriano paused for a long time when asked if he still had the same feeling about his World Series ring today as he did a year ago.

“It’s hard to say,” he said. “You don’t want to be the team that was cheating to win the World Series, but it’s hard for me to say what my feelings are. I’m not happy about it, either.”

He does not, however, want to relinquish his World Series ring.

“No, no, no,” he said. “Not at all.”