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| AP |
With Burnett the Yankees will pay $20 million of the remaining $33 million left on his contract for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. The Pirates in turn send two minor league players to the Bronx.
Burnett was part of a big offseason for the Yankees after the 2008 season signing free agents first baseman Mark Teixeira, pitcher CC Sabathia and trading for outfielder Nick Swisher. The team accomplished what they set out to do as they won the World Series defeating the Philadelphia Phillies.
However the 35-year-old never lived up to his 5-year $82.5 million contract. Questions swirled about whether he had the mental toughness to play in New York. Those concerns paled in comparison to his durability because since his first full season in the majors back in 2001 he only started at least 30 games twice before arriving to the Bronx Bombers, where he averaged 33 starts in his three seasons.
Burnett's lack of consistency plagued his tenure in pinstripes and the Pirates hope a change in scenery can help him and in turn he could boost ticket sales. The Pirates have been a perennially doormat but made a push for the playoffs last season before fading late.
In three seasons with the Yankees he was 34-35 with an era of 4.79. Over his career playing for the now Miami Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays he is 121-111 with an era of 4.10 in 1960 innings pitched.
The deal will be made official on Monday after Burnett passes a physical.
From The Sports Mind Of RB:
I always told my friends AJ Burnett had the best pure stuff in baseball of any current pitcher. A fastball that could hit 98mph on the gun, a breaking ball that could make the best of hitters look foolish at the plate and a frame that could shoulder the grueling MLB season. It just goes to show that it's not always the physical side of things it is also the mental side that often get's overlooked.
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