Pirates to add OF Cabrera, LHP Liriano to 25-man roster

The Pittsburgh Pirates will add veterans Melky Cabrera and Francisco Liriano to their Opening Day roster, the team announced Saturday.

Both players had been with the Pirates on minor-league deals during spring training. Pittsburgh is expected to clear at least one spot on its 40-man roster by placing right-hander Edgar Santana on the 60-day injured list.

Cabrera, 34, provides Pittsburgh with a switch-hitting option off the bench and an occasional starter at the corner outfield spots. He is a .286 lifetime hitter with 137 home runs and 807 RBIs in 1,754 career games with seven big-league teams.

Last season, Cabrera hit .280 with six homers and 39 RBIs in 78 games with the Cleveland Indians.

The 35-year-old Liriano will return to Pittsburgh, where the left-hander pitched from 2013-16. He owns a 107-111 career record with a 4.18 ERA.

Liriano spent last season with the Detroit Tigers, going 5-12 with a 4.58 ERA in 27 games (26 starts). He had 110 strikeouts in 133 2/3 innings.

--Field Level Media