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DANA POINT, Calif. (AP)—A.J. Burnett told the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday that he will opt out of the remaining two seasons of his $55 million, five-year contract.

The pitcher will forfeit $24 million and can file for free agency. His contract called for a $6 million signing bonus, a $1 million salary in 2006 and $12 million in the remaining seasons.

rkid wrote:There are going to be some pitchers that are going to get huge money this off season, and most of them probably won't be deserving of it.

Mak wrote:What do you think of the NY offer? There is no way i'd want us to match that, let him go. You know he'll suck 3 out of the 5 years, be average 1 year and have a good season(most likely contract season). Let Yankees get him, they need another overpaid guy.

With the economy sinking, however, the team’s interim CEO acknowledged Thursday that Toronto might choose to save the $24 million Burnett passed up this offseason rather than spend it on other free agents.

“It’s a possibility,” Beeston said. “We can spend $100 million, but if it doesn’t make sense, why do it?”

Burnett recently opted out of the final two seasons of his five-year contract, deciding to test the free-agent market and forgo $24 million the Blue Jays would have owed him.

With the Canadian dollar dropping in value against the U.S. dollar and the global economy in turmoil, Beeston said the Blue Jays won’t be big players in free agency.

Luv 4 da game wrote:Didn't want to start another thread, just gonna place any updates in this thread.

Beeston: Blue Jays might not be free-agent player

With the economy sinking, however, the team’s interim CEO acknowledged Thursday that Toronto might choose to save the $24 million Burnett passed up this offseason rather than spend it on other free agents.

“It’s a possibility,” Beeston said. “We can spend $100 million, but if it doesn’t make sense, why do it?”

Burnett recently opted out of the final two seasons of his five-year contract, deciding to test the free-agent market and forgo $24 million the Blue Jays would have owed him.

With the Canadian dollar dropping in value against the U.S. dollar and the global economy in turmoil, Beeston said the Blue Jays won’t be big players in free agency.

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