The headline of a Rocky Mountain News article today reads, Hernandez becomes possible pitching help for Rockies.

Does it make sense to refer to Livan Hernandez as a pitcher who can actually help a baseball team at this point?

While Francisco Liriano was making a mockery of the International League, the Twins continued to run the reliable innings eater, Mr. Hernandez, out there every fifth day. The reason, it seems, is because of the veteran right-hander's misleading 10-8 record.

It is 2008, though, and we now know that there are much better tools for judging a pitcher's overall effectiveness, even the traditional ERA. Yet fans, and even some within the industry, continue to put too much emphasis on wins and losses, causing some to defend Hernandez's performance.

Sure, the Twins were 14-9 in his starts. After all, a pitcher is supposed to keep his team in the game, giving them a chance to win, right?

Hernandez, however, was the ultimate benefactor of the Twins' tremendous stretch of hitting with runners in scoring position and received his fair share of, well, luck.

He has given his club 139.2 innings pitched, living up to his reputation as a "battler." During that span, though, he posted a 5.48 ERA, one of the highest totals for qualifying starters in the American League, 54-to-29 K/W ratio and 1.63 WHIP.

Wow, he really did have some luck, huh?

To be blunt, hitters have feasted on the man, posting a line of .333/.368/.505 with 18 home runs. Heck, Minnesota could use that kind of offensive production (.873 OPS) in its own lineup.

Seriously, he has not only been bad, he has been terrible.

Liriano, who won his first start on Sunday, will improve the Twins' chances of reaching the postseason by default. Even if he cannot replicate his tremendous All-Star run in 2006, when he was unhittable alongside Johan Santana, he ended the Hernandez days in the Twin cities, forcing the club to designate the mediocre old man for assignment. Plus, they are no longer hook for the remaining $1.5 million left on his contract.

While Hernandez was leading his team in victories when they finally reached their senses, that was not going to last once the record began to fall into place with the other factors at hand.

Pitching in the thin air at Coors Field will certainly not help matters for him, though he will potentially provide the bullpen with some necessary rest. The innings-eating factor is the only reason why a team should debate pursuing his services ever again. Desperate times call for desperate measures, but do not expect a repeat of the Rockies' magical run to the playoffs, and then World Series, from a year ago.

Colorado, which could not decide to become buyers or sellers at the trade deadline, is eight games back in the lowly National League West. Not to mention, they have scored 54 fewer runs than they have allowed, sitting with a 52-63 record.

Hernandez, or plan B Josh Fogg, may only make matters worse.

Help? I do not think so.