Philadelphia Phillies Reportedly Tried to Trade for A.J. Burnett
The Philadelphia Phillies reportedly tried to trade for A.J. Burnett, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney. Burnett ended up going to the Pittsburgh Pirates, with the New York Yankees agreeing to pay $20 million of Burnett’s $33 million over the next two seasons.
Burnett was just 11-11 with a 5.15 ERA in 2011, leading the American League in wild pitches. He also walked nearly four batters per nine innings, surrendered 31 home runs, and failed to pitch a complete game. Burnett was a colossal bust in New York after agreeing to a five-year, $82 million contract prior to the ’09 season.
In all, the Yankees will have paid $69 million of Burnett’s deal in exchange for a 34-35 record, a 4.79 ERA, and two separate seasons of leading the league in wild pitches. Burnett is extremely durable, having started 32 games each of the last four seasons, and he strikes out a high percentage of batters. It could be a steal for the Pirates, considering they will pay Burnett just $6.5 million per year.
For the Phillies to have acquired Burnett, they would have had to trade Joe Blanton first; the 31-year old is set to make $8.5 million for the 2012 season, the final season of the three-year, $24 million contract he signed prior to ’10. Blanton was limited to just 41 innings pitched in 2011 because of an elbow injury, and there are no guarantees that he will be able to avoid the injury bug this season.
Personally, Burnett for $6.5 million is probably a better option than Blanton for $8.5 million, but that’s if the Yankees would have paid the same amount of Burnett’s contract had they sent him to a high-market team like the Phillies.
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[...] The deal never panned out, and the Phillies still have Blanton. Burnett was shipped to Pittsburgh, where the Yankees will still pay $20 million of the $33 million he is owed for the next two seasons, even though the Phillies tried to acquire Burnett. [...]
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I WOULD NOT WANT TO SEE A BUM LIKE BURNETT ON MY PHILLIES. ANYONE WHO IS ON THE YANKEES SHOULD BE ASHAMED.TAX EVADING JETER WHO SHOULD BE IN PRISON,STEROID MAN A-ROD,AND ALL OF THE OTHER ANIMALS INCLUDING THE CHIMP GERARDI.
I AGREE.