Bucs sign Minor League FAs Lindblom, Perez
PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates on Friday signed a pair of Minor League free agents with big league experience and invited both to Major League Spring Training.
Pittsburgh signed right-hander Josh Lindblom, who spent the last two years pitching in South Korea, and outfielder Eury Pérez, who spent last year in Triple-A with the Astros and Rays.
Lindblom, 29, was briefly a Pirate once before. The Bucs claimed him off waivers from the A's on Dec. 8, 2014, and designated him for assignment a week later. The 6-foot-4 starter, a second-round Draft pick by the Dodgers in 2008, then took his career to the Korea Baseball Organization.
In two seasons with the Lotte Giants, Lindblom went 23-23 with a 4.33 ERA in 380 2/3 innings over 61 starts. This past season, he finished 10-12 with a 5.27 ERA in 29 starts. Lindblom has pitched in 110 big league games, posting a 3.82 ERA while striking out 121 batters over 136 2/3 innings. He last pitched in the Majors in 2014, making one start for the A's.
Perez, 26, combined to hit .256/.297/.354 with 20 steals in 79 games for Triple-A Fresno and Durham last season. He made his big league debut in 2012 with the Nationals and last played in the Majors for the Braves in '15. Overall, he has hit .254 with a .589 OPS and eight steals in 73 big league games.
Perez has spent most of his Minor League career in center field, though he has experience in all three outfield positions. He is a .301 career hitter with a .737 OPS in 842 Minor League games.