YANKEE RUMORS & BYB: PART 9

Francisco Liriano: The Liriano trade rumors never die when it comes to the Yankees and I have one opinion on this; the longer you wait to pull the trigger, the more miles go on the tires. In other words, you can talk about Liriano all you want, but the reality is, I believe trading for a pitcher means you don’t have to worry about a pitcher's past injury history. This history is mapped out here in the Hardball Times:

"Liriano became the star of the Twins' staff in 2006, despite not having a spot tied up as he entered camp. Still, what started as his break-out season ended with trouble.

Forced to skip his first August start due to elbow pain, Liriano underwent an MRI. With no structural issues found, he was cleared to go with the extra rest. It was a rough start, and reports of a "muscle problem" in his forearm were followed by a trip to the disabled list and more tests on his golden arm.

After being cleared to pitch once again, Liriano progressed from playing catch all the way to making a start on Sept. 13. That ended abruptly when he threw a wild pitch and experienced a pain that he probably never had before.

Shut down for the season, Liriano was soon diagnosed with a 'mild tear' of his UCL. After weeks of continued examination, doctors Lewis Yocum and John Steubs performed Tommy John surgery on Liriano's left-elbow in early November."

In the past I was very excited about seeing a Liriano in pinstripes, but these days, I'm not so sure it will happen, OR, if it's a good idea. I’m not saying Liriano is damaged goods, I’m saying that while he’s a good pitcher, there is that tendency to go sour because of what he’s gone through. That’s got to be in the back of Brian Cashman’s mind, or he would have made the trade already. And think about his, what's Liriano worth? He's not the same pitcher he once was, I mean, he's not Jesus Montero worthy, but maybe he's Eduardo Nunez worthy...I mean, the Twins are in rebuilding mode right? Read about it HERE... Think about it.

Glen Perkins: Look, the Minnesota Twins recently re-hired GM Terry Ryan to start their rebuilding process. There is 1 lefty reliever I have my eye on, and the Yankees sure could use a second lefty in the bullpen along with Boone Logan. That guy could be Glen Perkins. The Twins moved him to the bullpen full time after going 19-12 with a 4.81 ERA splitting time in the pen and the rotation from 2006-2010, and the positive results showed big time. In 2011 Perkins recorded a 2.48 ERA in 65 outings in relief, posting a very solid 9.5 K/9 rate and 1.23 WHIP while holding opposing lefty batters to a .222 average. Heck, even his fastball velocity jumped a couple MPH, going from 92.0 MPH in 2010 to 94 MPH in 2011. Check it out HERE.

It probably won't take much to pry Perkins away from Minnesota as they're rebuilding, probably a low level prospect or two, nothing major. It'd be nice if the Yanks added a second lefty, and Perkins would be a perfect fit.

Gavin Floyd: Floyd would be a trade situation and when Brian Cashman goes to the General Manager’s meetings next week in Milwaukee, there is no doubt Floyd’s name will be floated. Floyd don’t forget was a guy that was attached to the Yankees ever so briefly and he’s not a bad pitcher at all. Is is truly great? No, but he would offer some stability for sure. Check out his 2011 line: 12-13 4.37 ERA / 151 K / WHIP 1.162. Read about the buzz HERE.

More rumors soon, so stay on Bleeding Yankee Blue for all the information.

--Jesse Schindler contributed to this article.

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