Pirates Sign Another Righty

The Post Gazette is reporting that the Bucs have signed Cuban defector Serguey Linares. Info on Linares is not readily available, but from what I've found on Baseball America and other sources, Linares has been in the Dominican and been available to sign since before the Bucs signed Herrera. It's also a minor league deal, so the risk involved is minimal. He has been invited to spring training.

From the Post-Gazette:

Linares, 23, is a hard-throwing, 6-foot-4 right-hander, but he does not have nearly the pedigree of the Pirates' other Cuban pitcher, Yoslan Herrera. In 37 games in Cuba's top professional league, including 26 starts, he was 7-10 with a 5.59 ERA. He had control trouble, too, with 86 walks to 111 strikeouts in 162 2/3 innings.

He did not pitch in 2006.