Pittsburgh, PA (SportsNetwork.com) – The Pittsburgh Pirates extended one-year
qualifying offers to catcher Russell Martin and pitcher Francisco Liriano on
Monday.
Martin just finished his ninth season in the majors and second with the
Pirates, batting .290 with 11 home runs and 67 RBI in 111 games.
The 31-year-old spent his first five years with the Dodgers and two with the
Yankees before coming to Pittsburgh in 2013. He is a career .259 batter with
119 home runs and 540 RBI in 1,163 games.
Liriano, also 31, went 7-10 with a 3.38 earned run average in 29 starts with
Pittsburgh this year, his ninth in the majors.
Liriano is 76-72 with a 4.07 ERA in 223 games, including 196 starts, in his
career.
Both players have until 5:00 p.m. (ET) on Nov. 10 to accept the offer. If they
decline the offers and sign elsewhere, Pittsburgh will receive compensation
picks in the 2015 draft.
Pittsburgh also outrighted second baseman Chase d’Arnaud along with pitchers
Jeanmar Gomez and John Axford on Monday.
Gomez, 26, went 2-2 with a 3.19 ERA in 44 games out of the bullpen last
season. Axford, 31, was claimed off waivers from Cleveland in August and went
0-1 with a 4.09 ERA in 13 contests.
