Pirates announce 1-year deal for Francisco Liriano, outright Vin Mazzaro

The Pirates have officially signed Francisco Liriano to a one-year deal with a vesting option for 2014. That's different than the last reports we heard about Liriano's contract, and the Pirates don't report how much money Liriano will get, so that's anyone's guess. I assume the vesting option will be based on starts or innings pitched, which would mean that if Liriano's health prevents him from pitching this year, the Bucs won't be locked into another year.

Vin Mazzaro has been outrighted to Triple A, which suggests that there won't be much urgency for him to win a bullpen job this spring, and that the Pirates didn't consider him a particularly serious candidate to begin with, given that they were willing to risk losing him on waivers. He had been out of options, but that won't be an issue now.

UPDATE: Tom Singer writes that Liriano is only guaranteed $1 million, with a potential $11.75 million more in incentives and the vesting option, so it looks like Liriano really lost a ton of leverage when he broke his arm. If he can't pitch, he won't cost the Pirates much at all.

UPDATE: Liriano can make as much as $4.75 million in 2013. Liriano's option could vest at a variety of different levels -- $5 million, $6 million or $8 million -- based on how much time he spends on the disabled list.