Report: Samardzija, Melancon added as alternates for Team USA

Team USA's already-stacked roster at the World Baseball Classic appears to have even more depth than originally anticipated.

San Francisco Giants pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Mark Melancon have been added to the team as alternates, reports Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area.

The Giants are unsure of how often the players will be asked to participate, or if they'll play at all, according to Pavlovic, but adding the two right-handers to their squad provides the Americans with two great insurance policies in case of injury.

Neither player is expected to suit up before the semifinals, which begin March 20 in Los Angeles, reports Pavlovic.

Samardzija was 12-11 with a 3.81 ERA across 203 1/3 innings during his first season with the Giants last year. He's made two spring starts, pitching to bloated ERA of 7.36 in 3 2/3 innings. The 32-year-old enters the second year of a five-year, $90-million contract signed in December 2015.

The 31-year-old Melancon signed a four-year deal with the Giants in December after saving 47 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals last season.