Yankees close to dealing Burnett to Pirates
Posted February 17, 2012 2:33 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — The New York Yankees and Pirates are close to a trade that would send pitcher A.J. Burnett to Pittsburgh for two minor leaguers.
Pittsburgh agreed it would pay US$13 million of the $33-million salary due the right-hander for 2012 and 2013, a source said Friday.
Once the agreement is reached, it must be approved by commissioner Bud Selig because of the cash involved.
New York is likely to use the money saved to sign a designated hitter, with Raul Ibanez appearing to be its first choice.
Right-hander Burnett, 35, has gone 34-35 with a 4.79 ERA during three seasons with New York, including 11-11 with a 5.15 ERA last year. His average of 3.98 walks per nine innings was second in the AL and fifth in the majors during that span among pitchers with 400 or more innings, according to STATS LLC.
Burnett became expendable when the Yankees acquired Michael Pineda from Seattle in a trade and agreed to a one-year deal with free-agent Hiroki Kuroda. They joined holdovers CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova, Phil Hughes and Freddy Garcia.
In Pittsburgh Burnett would join a rotation that includes newly signed Erik Bedard of Navan, Ont., and returnees James McDonald, Kevin Correia and Jeff Karstens. Charlie Morton is recovering from hip surgery in October.
When Morton is available, Karstens could return to the bullpen and spot starts.
Notes: Reliever Hideki Okajima has been released from his minor-league contract with the Yankees, according to a source. A 36-year-old left-hander, Okajima agreed with the Yankees in December, and the team announced the deal Feb. 8. He was 1-0 with a 4.32 ERA in 8 1-3 innings over seven relief appearances for Boston last year, and 8-1 with a 2.29 ERA in 34 relief appearances at triple-A Pawtucket. An all-star as a rookie in 2007, he is 17-8 with a 3.11 ERA and six saves in five major league seasons.
