The Pirates and Yankees are discussing an A.J. Burnett trade, as the Yankees look to unload some of the $33MM owed to him for 2012-13. The latest:
- Marc Carig of the Star-Ledger hears four teams are in the mix for Burnett and that "a deal will get done with somebody.“
- The Yankees are engaging the Pirates and one other team about Burnett and a deal seems increasingly likely, David Waldstein of the New York Times reports. It doesn't appear that Burnett would block a trade to either one of the two possible destinations.
- The Yankees tried to convince the Angels that Burnett could be their fifth starter, according to Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com. The Yankees would have obtained Bobby Abreu in the proposed trade, but Burnett rejected the deal because he'd prefer to play on the East Coast.
- The two clubs remain at an impasse, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. As the day before Yankees pitchers and catchers report to spring training, Saturday represents a soft deadline for the trade talks. A trade is not likely with any of the three other teams interested in Burnett, as the Indians never got serious, Burnett will not approve a deal to the Angels, and the mystery team has lukewarm interest.
Sounds like Pit has all the leverage here… wow, that’s strange to say
Yep….typically….you have leverage when dealing with a trade partner needing financial relief. The longer you wait, the more amenable your trade partner becomes.
Who’d have thought the Yankees would get hung up over 3 million dollars?
The same people who expected the Red Sox to sit on their wallets this winter?
Looks like yet another day of waiting around for something to happen.
Sounds like just any other day in the offseason. Can’t wait for pitchers and catchers to report in a few days!
I think they are just trying to compete with the Yu Darvish signing announcement….didn’t that lead to an 8 month saga of rewriting the same thing and speculating on this site?
If the trade happens, does AJ start opening day for PIT?
Almost certainly not. But by the end of the season, it isn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility that he has become the team’s #1.
I think it will be Bedard regardless if they get Burnett or not. Playing the Phillies on openeing day, starting a lefty gives them a better chance of winning.
Bedard would be my guess as well. The biggest question about Bedard is whether or not he stays healthy enough to last for PIT.
There is no question. He won’t.
Not necessarily. Other than Utley, there won’t be any other big lefty bats in the line up.
Odds are the Pirates are going to win that series anyway… our offense disappears at PNC.
Either Burnett or Bedard, I would assume.
I’m more stumped as to why he won’t approve a trade to the Angels knowing that the Pirates are his only other suitor right now. Yikes.
He has an NTC for all the western teams, so, unlike many NTC clauses that include strategically selected teams this is quite obviously about regional comfort. There are a lot of stories circulating out there that his wife is less than thrilled with the idea of air travel. If that is indeed the case, then it’s not a big surprise if he sticks to his NTC, as that means the NTC is acting as a “quality of life” clause in his contract.
maybe they dont like to be sweating through out the summer.
They should be able to afford air conditioning.
If they don’t like sweating through the summers they should be jumping at the chance to play on the west coast!
He doesn’t want to win a World Series as much as please an unreasonable wife? Keep him please.
Happy wife, happy life and cheaper to keeper. Words to live by.
Has AJ’s wife ever heard of a train?
Can’t blame Yanks for wanting Pirates to take more salary. Paying him $23 millon and getting bad prospects is not ideal
It’s not like there are any trains in NY right? I can’t blame them for demanding more either, but realistically they’re in no position for demands since it’s no secret they want to unload him.
Addition by subtraction
Mystery team?!
orioles? their current starting 5 is pathetic, their 2012 budget is only $68 mil right now and maybe they figure AJ would be happy so close to home
This is your chance, get out of there Pirates!
I think the Pirates are thinking why spend $10mm+ on Burnett and lose 2 prospects, when they can wait longer, keep their prospects, and only pay Burnett the league minimum when the Yankees release him.
The Yankees are in it to win it every year, and will pay anything to win a championship. They have 7 starters for 5 spots and 7 relievers for 6 spots. so 14 pitchers for 11 spots… there’s no room for Burnett anymore, they cant hold onto him like the Mets did with Perez, they will have to cut him if they cant trade him.
No way the Yankees are simply releasing Burnett.
He better learn how to DH then.
Yanks pen will be Garcia/Hughes, Wade, Robertson, Logan/Feliciano, Jobba, Rivera.
There’s no room for him on a championship team.
Feliciano will never pitch again for the Yankees…injured arm and out for the year.
And no Job until June or July at the earliest. AJ will absolutely not be released.
they can still send hughes to the minors as he has one option left
I can’t see that happening at all. Not to mention it would mean releasing or demoting one of Bans, Bets, Warren, Phelps or Mitchell and the last 3 all performed well @ AAA last year.
Yanks are not releasing AJ. They do have option. Hughes can go back the the bullpen for part of the season and they can trade AJ on the trading dead line to a team in contention and desperate for a SP.
Also,
Burnett + Cash for Abreu, done. Angels don’t want abreu just like yanks don’t want Burnett. But the angels also don’t want Burnett + ~13M additional salary.
that probably was the deal that Burnett probably refused to accept, it makes sense, considering both teams surpluses, to do that deal
For the millionth time (not to you, but to posters in general), AJ has the 10 westernmost team on his no-trade list. The Angels are not going to happen.
Its been reported that AJ vetoed a trade with the Angels for Bobby.
Never count out the mystery team.
Would this 3-team trade work?
Yankees get Abreu
Pirates get Burnett + cash and Mark Trumbo
Angels get Hanrahan
Mike Trout in LF, Vernon Wells or Torii Hunter moves to DH
no for the Angels to add Trumbo.
they can get C prospects from Pirates, AJ to Pirates, and Abreu goes to Yankees.
Thats what the Angels should do trade Abreu for prospects to whichever team that wants him. I have no idea why they want Burnett + extra salary.
Because they have a big ? at their 5th starter. He eats innings and has enough talent to win more than just a handful of starts.
Pirates would be giving up too much.
No they wouldn’t. I’m sure Meek could handle the 9th. If not, sign someone like Mike Gonzalez, who closed for the Pirates before. Almost anything that brings Trumbo to Pittsburgh would work for me. Not going to happen though.
I wouldn’t really want Trumbo at all, as he’s not really much of an upgrade over Jones anyway. I certainly wouldn’t give away Hanrahan for Trumbo straight up. They could get much more than that for Hanrahan.
i don’t think the yanks would not take on abreu’s $9 mill salary — they’d rather have prospects and sign ibanez/damon for $2 mill
If I were NH right now, I’d say to Cashman:
“You know what? I’ve tried my very best to accomodate you, but you are being more and more picky. I’m fed up, see ya”
I’m surprised the Orioles aren’t getting involved. They can use a good innings eater, and his wife would love for him to play in Baltimore. Its probably the #1 place he’d want to go to finish his career.
They could be the mystery team.
It might be because that the O’s have seen Burnett within their division and recognize that his best years may be behind him. Wasn’t Burnett the only Yankee pitcher to have a losing record against the Orioles this year? The price being asked by the Yankees from the Pirates is, in no doubt, an attempt to recover some dignity after the fleecing they took in the Nady/Marte trade a few years ago.
Im part italian, i could make Burnett disappear for half his salary lol!
They’re better off going to Lance Burton…
I hope the unnamed team really gets interested. I think this is a terrible deal for us here in Pittsburgh if Burnnett is not actively excited about pitching in PGh. If he is looking to “mail it in ” for two years , there are more arms that would be a better fit.
There hasn’t been anything to give the impression that AJ doesn’t want to be in Pittsburgh.
I’m not an AJ Burnett fan at all, but for $10 million its not a terrible deal. The NL Central is extremely weak (you have Votto, 2/3 of a season of Ryan Braun, and the rare days Matt Holliday isn’t hurt; thats pretty much it). I see no reason he couldn’t regain, at least, some of his form in a weak division with little pressure. Any more than $10 mil and/or a decent prospect and I’d probably pass though.
Wallace Matthews is a flat out bad journalist… he reported yesterday that Cole wouldn’t be going in the deal… well no durrr.
Boring. Hello…Hello…is this thing on?
I can’t wait to see what happens when the Yankees finally realize Ibanez is way over the hill and has no power anymore.
I think he hit 20HRs last year.
Smart for Burnett to reject that trade. If he goes to the angels there is pressure on him to perform.
Ye olde Mystery Team
They should offer him to Detroit for delmon young
im kind of intrigued about AJ for a fifth starter in Detroit.
I would like to publicly flog myself for saying yesterday that if offered a choice between playing in Pittsburgh or playing in Anaheim that Burnett would choose LA.
I was wrong. Very wrong.
That is one serious phobia. To rather play in Pittsburgh (great city – horrible club) is just absurd.
im curious on to who the 4 teams are that burnett will accept a trade too. pittsburgh obviously but who are the other three? especially since cleveland is out of it
How about AJ for Jason Bay ?
yankees want some kind of prospects. even if their low level prospects
Yeah, and while your at it throw in David Wright
The Pirates wouldn’t mind him either.
Too bad AJ was a bust after the Championship season. I still think he has great stuff, but flourishes better with a non pressure team like the Pirates or Royals – He has his ring and he can say he was part of a World Championship club at the very least. Im sure hed do well in Pittsburgh. I am curious about the dreaded mystery team ..the Mets ? Cubs ? Royals ? Just guesswork, maybe it is the Os ?
he was apart of 2 championship teams….florida/miami also
Well he did win a ring with the Marlins, but he didn’t pitch at all in the playoffs in 2003. 2009 was actually his first career postseason appearances.
Jays.. why not.. he enjoyed and did well in Toronto, except those years he was injured. I think Jays can gamble with him.. he was pitching well against Boston and NY. He still can pitch mid to high nineties. Without any additional pressure, he can pitch well and also now he may want to revenge the Yankees …Jays get 10M of AJ’s salary and give Thames to NY. Now, Jays can put Snider in LF so give a final chance to succeed as a major leaguer.
Burnett can’t block a trade if there not on his no-trade list.
Yanks are building to the furture their main club is almost set. The Yanks are looking to dump 12 million in contract and get a few prospects in the deal. The Bucs seem to be willing to give them 10 million at this point.