Talk of a potential trade of starting pitcher A.J. Burnett to the Pittsburgh Pirates by the New York Yankees simply won’t die. In fact, ESPN New York today quoted a source saying "This thing has legs and it is real. There’s a chance something will happen there."
The Yankees have a surplus of starting pitching and have been trying to move Burnett since the end of last season.
New York would like to moved Burnett and get relief from at least some of the $33 million they owe the 35-year-old right-hander for the next two years. The Yankees would reportedly like to use some of the savings on Burnett’s contract to sign a left-handed hitting designated hitter.
The Pirates seem like the most likely landing spot for Burnett. However, Ken Rosenthal of FOX reported that as many as four teams are vying for Burnett’s services.
Burnett has pitched to ERAs of 5.26 and 5.15 the past two seasons.