December 12, 2008
Second Starter
A.J. Burnett
Photo: Icon SMI
The Yankees land A.J. Burnett:
Free-agent right-hander A.J. Burnett has reached a preliminary agreement with the Yankees on a five-year, $82.5 million contract, joining lefty CC Sabathia in the team's revamped rotation.
The deal is pending Burnett's physical.
That's a pretty good contract for someone who set his career high for starts and innings at age 31, only $2 million less per year than Barry Zito. Burnett, however, is a good pitcher with a high strikeout rate and a low home run rate. His walk rate is decent, also. In fact, his career ERA of 3.81 seems a bit high for his stats. In fact, in four of the last five years, Burnett's FIP is lower than his ERA. That certainly makes this look like a better deal.
The big question with A.J. is his durability. Over the last three seasons he's made 21, 25 and 35 starts. With that kind of money, the Yankees will want him closer to 30 starts every year.
So the top four of the Yankees rotation looks like Sabathia, Burnett, Wang and Chamberlain. Three big K pitchers and a worm killer. The added strikeouts should take pressure off the Yankees defense. At this point, New York can sign someone like Ben Sheets short term, or make Hughes and Kennedy fight it out for the fifth spot.
This deal is getting killed on all the yankee sites, called Pavano 2.0, but I'm not sure it's all that bad. He's not coming over from the NL, and I think there's a good chance he'll find a good couple years in his 30's injury free (a la Schilling).
"there's a good chance he'll find a good couple years "
If only it were a two year contract, bottom line is it gives the prospect of a potent rotation, which is a welcome sight.
