It was an odd and contentious ending for the Pittsburgh Pirates and veteran starting pitcher A.J. Burnett. After Burnett felt slighted when Gerrit Cole started ahead of him in a deciding game last postseason, he then felt even more slighted when the team reportedly low-balled him with a contract offer this past off-season. That was the reason, at least in part, that Burnett ended up signing a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.
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With the Phillies skidding and reportedly preparing themselves for a fire sale between now and the July 31st deadline, Burnett could find himself a candidate to be dealt. Ken Rosenthal writes the following about Burnett’s situation:
"Don’t forget right-hander A.J. Burnett when thinking about Phillies who might get moved. But as with every other Philadelphia veteran, things get a little complicated……Burnett’s contract includes a $15 million mutual option or a player option that could be worth as much as $12.75 million. Sounds like a lot, and before approving a deal, Burnett might require a team on his no-trade list to guarantee the $15 million."
Burnett also has no-trade clauses that bar deals to 21 teams throughout baseball. One of the teams he can be traded to? The Pirates. As reported by Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish:
The Pirates are in the market for a starting pitcher, and given Burnett’s recent success with them, they might be more willing than many teams to take a serious look at that 2015 option and still go through with a deal.
Let’s just hope that they can all go out for ice cream or something first to bury those hard feelings if a deal does gain momentum.