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Its Official: AJ Burnett is a Yankee
Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 10:06 pm
by Kid.Canada.23
Free agent right-hander A.J. Burnett has reached preliminary agreement on a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the New York Yankees, a baseball source told ESPN.com.
While Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and Burnett's agent, Darek Braunecker are still negotiating final contract terms, the deal is expected to be complete once Burnett passes a physical exam, the source said.
Burnett, who turns 32 in January, will join CC Sabathia at the top of a revamped starting rotation in New York. The Yankees agreed to terms on a seven-year, $161 million contract with Sabathia earlier this week.
The Yankees made a late charge to beat out the Atlanta Braves for Burnett, who went 18-10 with a 4.07 ERA in 35 starts with Toronto this season. New York is still looking for one more starter, and Cashman left the winter meetings in Las Vegas this week to meet with long-time Yankee Andy Pettitte.
In December 2005, Braunecker and his agency, Frontline Sports Management, negotiated a five-year, $55 million deal that included an opt out clause after three seasons. It was the first opt-out provision ever in a pitcher's contract.
Between the money that Burnett earned in Toronto and the guaranteed $82.5 million that he's scheduled to receive from the Yankees, his overall payout from the 2005 Toronto contract will amount to $115.5 million over eight seasons.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3765754
Re: Its Official: AJ Burnett is a Yankee
Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 10:18 pm
by Schad
Meh...Toronto will receive a sandwich pick and the Yankees' second rounder as their first is Milwaukee-bound. Had the Braves signed him, Toronto would have received slightly better compensation and avoided him next year.
The Jays are going to lose many, many ballgames in 2009...which might not be that bad of a thing.
Re: Its Official: AJ Burnett is a Yankee
Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 10:29 pm
by NeverGoingToWin
This is terrible news. I was looking forward to getting two good draft picks at least. Baseball is not like basketball where one player can change the whole franchise. Losing next year will not help at all because we are going to have to start all over again.
Re: Its Official: AJ Burnett is a Yankee
Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 11:38 pm
by Duncanfan
Baseball seriously needs a salary cap.. Its just ridiculous how the big market teams with unlimited resources just buy themselves a great team whereas small market teams are left to suffer.
Re: Its Official: AJ Burnett is a Yankee
Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 11:59 pm
by vaff87
Good riddance.
Burnett can not be trusted at all. I'm guessing he's the next Carl Pavano/Jaret Wright in New York.
Re: Its Official: AJ Burnett is a Yankee
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 12:00 am
by s e n s i
I'm not too thrilled at facing A.J 3/4 times. That being said, I hope Vdub or Rios lace'em for a couple of long ones.
Re: Its Official: AJ Burnett is a Yankee
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 12:11 am
by Cartman
damn you AJ..money in the bankk lol
Re: Its Official: AJ Burnett is a Yankee
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 12:25 am
by Relentless88
82.5 for 5 years, wow. I agree with the Pavano statement, I'm thinking he'll be healthy 2/5 years.
Re: Its Official: AJ Burnett is a Yankee
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 1:15 am
by Mak
That's actually not as bad as i thought it would be. Still not worth it.
Re: Its Official: AJ Burnett is a Yankee
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 1:42 am
by Raptorsrock
The Yanks will eventually regret this off season once CC balloons to 425lbs in 2 years and AJ makes his 6th trip to the DL after 2 seasons.
Can't wait to see what AJ looks like in the last year of that contract. Also can't wait to see how he deals with he media after he starts to struggle
Re: Its Official: AJ Burnett is a Yankee
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 1:56 am
by Geddy
This could be a blessing in disguise especially with the way the economy is these days. The Yankees have all that money tied up in CC and AJ and if they don't perform it will make it that much harder for them to shell out more money to get replacements. AJ's good health this past season was somewhat of an anomaly because he didn't get hurt for such a long stretch. I don't want the guy to get hurt but honestly I don't think he can continue this healthy run for much longer.
AJ is going to burn in the NY spotlight if he does bad.
Re: Its Official: AJ Burnett is a Yankee
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 2:22 am
by Bank Shot
I can't see Burnett actually being worth that contract. That said, losing him hurts this team quite a bit. The Jays are going to be in Baltimore territory next year. Knowing the Jays the bats will finally come alive next year but our pitching will stink. From NY's standpoint I don't like it because he's pretty much guarenteed to have at least 2 of those years pretty much written off to injury. However, if it doesn't work out I'm sure they'll just find someone else to overpay and replace A.J. Hopefully we can make something of the pick but I'm not getting my hopes up.
Re: Its Official: AJ Burnett is a Yankee
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 2:51 am
by Banger_bro
AJ grew on me throughout the 3 years with the Jays. I hope that he does well with the Yanks, just not against us.
I just can't shake the feeling that he is going to go back to being an injured, .500 pitcher that seems aloof with the media and his teammates.
Re: Its Official: AJ Burnett is a Yankee
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 3:04 am
by The-Insider
It looks like the Jays will not get a 1st round pick as compensation. We can't even win the little ones
I am probably one of the very few that liked A.J Burnett. When he was healthy, he had some nasty games. But seriously, he is nowhere near worth 16+ mill. Not even close by any sensible mertic.
Re: Its Official: AJ Burnett is a Yankee
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 5:12 am
by spykelee
Sad to see him go, I also liked what AJ brought. He was the 1 guy we had who could go out and just be lights out. Doc is a horse, and a competitor, but AJ had the poetential with his nasty stuff to be absolutely dominating.
This league is absolutely brutal though. Honestly, how can a team just go out and buy up all the star calibre players at whatever positional inadequecy they have... And don't give me that horrible Tamba bay argument. They where brutal for a decade +. Is that really the only option we have?
Baseball should create a division consisting of Boston, NYY, NYM, Chicago Cubs, Anaheim, LA Dodgers. Have all these ridiculous teams spend against each other and only 1 or possibly two make the playoffs instead of these same teams making it year in and year out and if by chance they miss, they can't just buy the title the next year. It's f'n BS
Edit: Yes I realize those teams are on the west coast but it isn't as if it's such a burden to have to take a luxury jet, eating buffet meals, spending the nights in 5 star hotels, and playing two or 3 series out there twice a year is so unfair... atleast in proportion to how much money these assheads can spend in comparison to the rest of the league
Re: Its Official: AJ Burnett is a Yankee
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 7:57 am
by evilRyu
The-Insider wrote:It looks like the Jays will not get a 1st round pick as compensation. We can't even win the little ones
I thought the Jays do? Isn't AJ a type-A free agent?
Re: Its Official: AJ Burnett is a Yankee
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 3:36 pm
by Michael Bradley
evilRyu wrote:The-Insider wrote:It looks like the Jays will not get a 1st round pick as compensation. We can't even win the little ones
I thought the Jays do? Isn't AJ a type-A free agent?
Yes he is Type-A, but the Yankees also signed a higher ranked Type-A free agent (Sabathia), so now Milwaukee will get NY's 1st round pick and Toronto will get NY's 2nd. If the Yankees only signed Burnett, then the Jays would have gotten their first round pick. Now if the Yankees sign another Type-A free agent ranked higher than Burnett (Teixeira?), then the Jays will get NY's 3rd round pick. Not good.
At this point, getting a sandwich pick and (for now) a late-2nd round pick for Burnett is awful. Might as well have traded him at the deadline. Sure the Jays might be able to nab a Cecil type prospect with the draft compensation, but that's not going to help us during Halladay's remaining years here (for now only two more years).
I know Burnett gets a lot of flack, but he's a legit #2 starter when healthy. Losing his 220 innings, in addition to Marcum and McGowan, is going to destroy the Jays next season. Halladay will have to break his arm to get this team to 82 wins. Cito has already seemingly conceded 2009 so maybe the plan is to tank 09 and build for 2010. Might be the best way to go.
Re: Its Official: AJ Burnett is a Yankee
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 6:11 pm
by evilRyu
Thanks for the clarification Michael Bradley.
Yes, losing his 220+ innings will hurt, but we should all realize that that was a career high, and injuries to him can always happen. I was on the Yankee board, and a lot of them conceded that they'll be without AJ for 2/5's of the contract, so his injuries are well-known, and taken accounted for.
Re: Its Official: AJ Burnett is a Yankee
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 7:33 pm
by Schad
Michael Bradley wrote:At this point, getting a sandwich pick and (for now) a late-2nd round pick for Burnett is awful. Might as well have traded him at the deadline. Sure the Jays might be able to nab a Cecil type prospect with the draft compensation, but that's not going to help us during Halladay's remaining years here (for now only two more years).
JP tends to target sandwich-round talent with his firsts anyway (Snider is the obvious exception), so it might be a wash in the end. Still, hardly a return likely to produce a second wave of intriguing youngsters behind the '06 crew.
Re: Its Official: AJ Burnett is a Yankee
Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2008 2:54 pm
by Dr Octagon
I said this was going to happen.
And good thing it did.