Burnett reaches deal with Yankees
A.J. Burnett's days as a Blue Jay are over.
The worst-kept secret in Toronto sports became official Friday when the free-agent pitcher and the New York Yankees reached agreement on a five-year contract.
ESPN.com reported that the deal, which has been confirmed by the office of Burnett's primary agent, Darek Braunecker, is worth $82.5 million US.
Burnett, 31, opted out of the final two years and $24 million of his contract with the Blue Jays after setting career highs in wins (18), strikeouts (an American League-best 231) and innings (221) in his third season in Toronto.
The hard-throwing righty is the second big-name starting pitcher to sign with the Yankees this week. The team also signed CC Sabathia to a seven-year, $161-million deal. The pair are expected to generate even more revenue for baseball's richest club in a new $1.3-billion stadium.
"I think once [Burnett] decided to opt out we were never under the impression that he was going to come back to us," Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi told the Canadian Press. "We had one shot, when [president] Paul Beeston and I went down to see him [in October]. If he wanted to be a Blue Jay that day we could have signed him.
"But then the market really turned for us and we were probably not in a position financially to be as involved as the contract it sounds like he's going to get."
Trouble staying healthy
Burnett had several other suitors, including the Atlanta Braves, who reportedly tabled a five-year, $80-million offer.
In luring Burnett to New York, the Yankees get a talented player who has had trouble staying healthy.
Burnett's raw stuff is among the best in baseball — a fastball that touches 99 miles an hour, plus a nasty mid-80s curve — but he's been maddeningly inconsistent throughout his career and has made regular trips to the disabled list.
In 10 big-league seasons with Toronto and Florida, the six-foot-five, 230-pound Arkansas native has made 30 starts just twice. Interestingly, both of those seasons — 2005 and 2008 — came when Burnett was on the verge of free agency.
Jays payroll shrinking
Without Burnett, the Blue Jays' projected starting rotation for next season includes Roy Halladay, Jesse Litsch, David Purcey, Casey Janssen and potentially one of Ricky Romero, Brett Cecil or Scott Richmond.
The team is hopeful Dustin McGowan can return in May following surgery to repair fraying of the labrum in his right shoulder, while Shaun Marcum will miss the entire 2009 campaign following surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.
The Jays added more depth on Friday by signing veteran righty Matt Clement.
With baseball's winter meetings in Las Vegas wrapping up, Toronto is attempting to reel in free-agent shortstop Rafael Furcal to aid its weak offence. But a limited budget could make that a difficult task for general manager J.P. Ricciardi.
The team has roughly $70 million tied up in 11 contracts for 2009, and the payroll will likely be somewhere around $85 million, or possibly lower. A weakened Canadian dollar and a decrease in team sponsorship figure to bring the payroll down significantly from the team-record $98 million it reached in 2008.
"We're just trying to see if we can make the best out of what we have," Ricciardi told MLB.com.