According to John Lott of the National Post, A.J. Burnett is expected to opt out of his contract, but if J.P. Ricciardi offers him a contract extension, Burnett says it "might" change his mind.
As MLBTR pointed out, the Jays are expected to go after Burnett, who could require $15-18MM. With Shawn Marcum needing Tommy John Surgery, the chances they pursue Burnett greatly increases.
Jays pitching coach Brad Arnsberg seems to think it won’t take much to keep Burnett in Toronto, perhaps only another year on the contract.
Burnett, already a perennial injury risk, has thrown over 3400 pitches this year, the most in the majors. In Lotts’ piece, should Burnett notch his 19th win in his next start, he would decline to pitch on short rest to go after number 20. Finishing healthy is his goal. With Ben Sheets suffering forearm pain, Burnett could find himself the most appealing free agent starter not named CC.
