Bucco Bits - Liriano On Hold, Prospect Lists, More

A little Bucco news five weeks away from camp...

• Frankie Liriano has a right (non-throwing) arm injury severe enough that he didn't come to Pittsburgh to take his pre-signing physical, writes Rob Biertempfel of the Tribune Review. The FO is still talking to his agent, but the two-year, #12.7M deal is on ice right now. We wondered what was up after he failed to report after Christmas. Anyway, the search for another arm may or may not go on. Neal Huntington said "...if there is not an acceptable upgrade out there, we’re ready to go forward with this group.” That means guys like Andy Oliver, Chris Leroux and Justin Wilson may get a long look at camp.
• RHP Rick Van Den Hurk left the Bucs to join the Samsung Lions in Korea.
• Jm Callis of Baseball America has the Bucco organization ranked eighth in MLB. He says "System isn't deep but has impressive trios of arms and bats that most can't match." Kristy Robinson tweets that BA's Top Ten are: 1 RHP Gerrit Cole, 2 RHP Jameson Taillon, 3 RHP Luis Heredia, 4 OF Gregory Polanco, 5 SS Alen Hanson, 6 OF Josh Bell, 7 RHP Kyle McPherson, 8 LHP Justin Wilson, 9 OF Barrett Barnes, and 10 RHP Clay Holmes. 
• MLB.com has their own Top Twenty list of Bucco prospects; the top nine are the same, though scattered about in a little different order.
• Speaking of Cole, he did an interview with MLB.com's John Parker. Cole must have spoken with AJ; he told the reporter that "My priority at the plate is getting a bunt down and not getting hurt."
• Arbitration hearings begin in three weeks or so; we're sorta surprised the Bucs haven't done any deals with their arb guys yet (except for the injured Charlie Morton). The foursome are RHP James McDonald, 2B Neil Walker, 1B Gaby Sanchez and OF/1B Garrett Jones.