Pirates seal deal for pitcher Burnett
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New Pirates acquisition A.J. Burnett pitches for the Yankees during the first inning of Game 4 of baseball's American League division series against the Detroit Tigers in October.
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BRADENTON, Fla. -- The Pirates and New York Yankees reached an agreement today that will send right-handed starter A.J. Burnett to Pittsburgh, according to a source.
The Yankees will pay $20 million of the remaining $33 million owed Burnett over the next two seasons, and the Pirates will send two prospects to the Yankees, the source said.
Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig must approve the transaction because it involves a transfer of more than $1 million. The deal is also pending a physical.
Serious negotiations lasted more than a week between the two teams.
It is not known which prospects will be involved, though reports suggested that right-hander Diego Moreno could be one of them. They will not be high-level prospects; a source indicated earlier in the week that the Pirates preferred to pay more of Burnett's salary rather than part with higher-caliber prospects.
Burnett, 35, went 11-11 with a 5.15 ERA last season and had a 5.00-plus ERA in each of the past two seasons. He signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract before the 2009 season after opting out of a five-year, $55 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.
The money Pirates will contribute to Burnett's salary will raise the Pirates' estimated 40-man roster payroll to about $51 million.
Unable to lure free agent starters such as Edwin Jackson to Pittsburgh, the Pirates turned to the trade market, where the Yankees made Burnett available due to a crowded rotation and, of all things, salary cap concerns. The Yankees wanted to clear Burnett's salary, according to reports, to sign a left-handed designated hitter and hope to reduce their salary to less than the $189 million luxury tax threshold in 2014. They had seven pitchers competing for rotation spots after acquiring Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda during the winter.
The New York Mets drafted Burnett in the eighth round of the 1995 draft, but he made his debut with the Florida Marlins in 1999. He pitched for the Marlins for seven seasons before signing as a free agent with the Blue Jays in December 2005.
First Published February 17, 2012 3:07 pm
