What’s better than having one injured pitcher on your roster?

If you’re the Pittsburgh Pirates, then having two injured pitchers on your roster might be the answer.

On Saturday, the Pirates signed Jose Contreras to a minor league deal.

Contreras, 41, had Tommy John surgery last year. He’s expected to rehab with the team in spring training.

The Pirates have Francisco Liriano on the roster, who is recovering from a broken arm.

Interesting move by the Bucs. We’ll see if it pans out.

– Rick Green (follow me on Twitter @ETNrgreen)

Francisco Liriano is a Pirate.

Officially.

The team announced the signing of the left-handed pitcher on its Twitter page Friday night. The team reported it’s a one-year deal with a vesting option for 2014.

Tom Singer at mlb.com Tweeted that the deal is worth $1 million in 2013. It originally had been reported to be worth two years and $12.75 million until Liriano broke his right arm in an accident.

While I’m not a fan of Liriano as a starter, if the numbers are correct, the Pirates don’t assume much risk with the deal if Liriano has a setback.

The official Liriano signing, coupled with the Jonathan Sanchez deal, means the Pirates have inked pitchers with control issues — along with ERA issues.

– Rick Green (follow me on Twitter @ETNrgreen)

How many times have the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Francisco Liriano this season?

Too many for my taste.

And it seems like the ongoing saga could drag into spring training.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review is reporting that general manager Neal Huntington is non-commital about signing the pitcher before spring training begins.

Liriano broke his non-throwing arm (right) in December before a contract between the teams was finalized. Reports of a deal being reached between the two surfaced before the injury took place. Since then, the sides have tried to come to an agreement without  luck.

Today, they seem to be at an impasse.

For me, the Pirates should just move on.

– Rick Green (follow me on Twitter @ETNrgreen)

There are some good free agents still to be signed, and the Pittsburgh Pirates have been linked to one of them.

Pitcher Shaun Marcum could be targeted by the Bucs, Jon Paul Morosi is reporting.

Marcum missed two months last season for the Brewers, but he did have a winning record (7-4) and posted a sub-4.00 ERA (3.74).

Hopefully the Pirates can sign Marcum and not worry about Francisco Liriano. The Pirates previously reached an agreement with Liriano pending a physical. Liriano, hoever, injured his arm and the deal has been in limbo.

Speculation about Marcum, and the Pirates’ signing of Jeff Karstens, are positive signs Lirano might not pitch for Pittsburgh this season.

– Rick Green (follow me on Twitter @ETNrgreen)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Free agent pitcher Francisco Liriano injured his right (non-throwing) arm over the holidays and his deal with the Pirates is on hold.

Liriano reached an agreement on a two-year deal worth around $14 million on just before Christmas, pending a physical. Pittsburgh general manager Neal Huntington did not get into specifics about the nature of the injury, only saying the team remains in contact with Liriano.

Liriano, 29, is 53-54 with a 4.40 ERA in seven major league seasons. He went 6-12 with a 5.34 ERA in 2012 while splitting the season with the Twins and White Sox.

Pittsburgh had penciled in Liriano to be the team’s No. 3 starter behind A.J. Burnett and Wandy Rodriguez. With the left-hander’s status uncertain, Pittsburgh acquired right-hander Jeanmar Gomez from Cleveland Wednesday.

– Associated Press

The Pittsburgh Pirates apparently have made an attempt to bolster their rotation, signing left-handed pitcher Francisco Liriano to a two-year contract worth $14 million, according to published reports.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Liriano, who played for nearly six seasons for the Minnesota Twins, agreed to the deal. The deal is pending Liriano passing a physical.

Liriano pitched a no-hitter in 2011.

He went 3-10 with a 5.31 ERA for the Twins last season before being traded to the Chicago White Sox. Liriano went 3-2 with a 5.40 ERA in Chicago.

For his career, Liriano is 53-54 with a 4.40 ERA.

He will join a Pirates rotation that includes A.J. Burnett, Wandy Rodriguez and James McDonald.

– from wire report