Yankees sign AJ Burnett per ESPN News

[RedVerbs]

Apparently 5 years 80+ million

[sneakypower]

seeing as he'll likely be healthy for like 3-1/2 years of that contract, that's another pitcher they'll be spending $23m on, per pitching year

[UMFan83]

Sabathia

Burnett

Wang

Pettitte (isn't he still possibly coming back)

Hughes/Kennedy

[RedVerbs]

Sabathia

Burnett

Wang

Pettitte (isn't he still possibly coming back)

Hughes/Kennedy

 

They've been pretty vocal about saying Joba is staying in the rotation.

[Jehrico]

How long until they refer to him as Burvano? Whinebrenner is showing alot of desparation and he's driving up salaries again. They should contract the Yankees if they're going to start this crap again. Didn't they learn over the last 8 years that you can't buy championships on the FA market?

[Clem Fandango]

Sabathia

Burnett

Wang

Pettitte (isn't he still possibly coming back)

Hughes/Kennedy

 

They've been pretty vocal about saying Joba is staying in the rotation.

 

They'd be [expletive] not to, and any talk of them moving him back to the bullpen is stupid. He had a 2.76ERA through 65IP with 74K's as a starter before getting hurt, you don't kick that potential out of the rotation for someone like an aging Andy Pettite. They would be insane not to keep him in the rotation

[RedVerbs]

Sabathia

Burnett

Wang

Pettitte (isn't he still possibly coming back)

Hughes/Kennedy

 

They've been pretty vocal about saying Joba is staying in the rotation.

 

They'd be [expletive] not to, and any talk of them moving him back to the bullpen is stupid. He had a 2.76ERA through 65IP with 74K's as a starter before getting hurt, you don't kick that potential out of the rotation for someone like an aging Andy Pettite. They would be insane not to keep him in the rotation

 

 

I agree.

[Cubswin11]

Not that they were ever serious contenders or even a possible fit, but this should likely take them out of the Peavy speculation for good. That's nearly $240 mil. for two pitchers and they still will likely add some sort of offensive player, along with the possibility of Sheets or Pettitte. It's one last team to use as leverage if Towers/Hendry do revisit talks. The Braves were all but out as soon as they traded for Vazquez because they gave up Lillibridge, essentially making Escobar/KJ untouchable, along with Flowers who the Padres wanted, and we already knew they wouldn't include Hanson and weren't willing to give a NTC out.

[erik316wttn]

If we can't sign Peavy I wouldn't mind seeing Derrek Lowe sign here.

[nilodnayr]

Hughes is out of options, is he not?

[cubsfan26]

What I don't get is why does AJ Burnett get 5y 82m. But why is their such a little market for Ben Sheets? If I was a Braves fan, I would be glad the Yankees got Burnett, and try to get Sheets at 2-3 years for 12-14m per year.

 

 

Sheets

08-31 starts, 198 IP, 3.09 era

07-24 starts, 141 IP, 3.82 era

06-17 starts, 106 IP, 3.82 era

 

Burnett

08-34 starts, 221 IP, 4.07 era

07-25 starts,165 IP, 3.75 era

06-21 starts, 135.2 IP, 3.98 era

 

So yes Burnett is a little more durable, but I don't think there's a huge difference between the two guys.

[Smack]

What I don't get is why does AJ Burnett get 5y 82m. But why is their such a little market for Ben Sheets? If I was a Braves fan, I would be glad the Yankees got Burnett, and try to get Sheets at 2-3 years for 12-14m per year.

 

 

Sheets

08-31 starts, 198 IP, 3.09 era

07-24 starts, 141 IP, 3.82 era

06-17 starts, 106 IP, 3.82 era

 

Burnett

08-34 starts, 221 IP, 4.07 era

07-25 starts,165 IP, 3.75 era

06-21 starts, 135.2 IP, 3.98 era

 

So yes Burnett is a little more durable, but I don't think there's a huge difference between the two guys.

 

What is Sheets' injury status? If I recall, he ended the season on the DL with something torn in his arm. I don't remember the exact specifics, something with his forearm I think.

[Cubswin11]

What I don't get is why does AJ Burnett get 5y 82m. But why is their such a little market for Ben Sheets? If I was a Braves fan, I would be glad the Yankees got Burnett, and try to get Sheets at 2-3 years for 12-14m per year.

 

 

Sheets

08-31 starts, 198 IP, 3.09 era

07-24 starts, 141 IP, 3.82 era

06-17 starts, 106 IP, 3.82 era

 

Burnett

08-34 starts, 221 IP, 4.07 era

07-25 starts,165 IP, 3.75 era

06-21 starts, 135.2 IP, 3.98 era

 

So yes Burnett is a little more durable, but I don't think there's a huge difference between the two guys.

Yeah I don't think there is that big of a difference either both have been healthy/injured for roughly the same amount of time, and none of their injuries have been too serious just pulls/strains etc.

IMO Healthy Sheets>Healthy Burnett. It should be interesting now to see how the market shapes up for both Lowe and Sheets as they are the only #1/2 type pitchers left in FA and after that there is a pretty big drop off.

[BigbadB]

Hughes is out of options, is he not?

 

Already? That would be a shocker. They don't appear to have any desire to move him, so I would guess he still has options.

[RedVerbs]

I'm surprised by the lack of interest (at least made public) for Ben Sheets. To me, he was the best pitcher on the market when healthy, counting Sabathia.

[Mephistopheles]

seeing as he'll likely be healthy for like 3-1/2 years of that contract, that's another pitcher they'll be spending $23m on, per pitching year

 

the yankees payroll could be over $300m and they'd still be profiting. personally, i've got no problem with huge contracts to players. it's not driving up ticket prices. all it is doing is taking money from the pockets of the owners to the pockets of the players.

[CubinNY]

I'm surprised by the lack of interest (at least made public) for Ben Sheets. To me, he was the best pitcher on the market when healthy, counting Sabathia.

 

The when healthy part. I don't know if a team can even get insurance on a guy like Sheets.

 

I'm all for going after Lowe. A ground ball pitcher in Wrigley makes me tingle.

[UMFan83]

I'm surprised by the lack of interest (at least made public) for Ben Sheets. To me, he was the best pitcher on the market when healthy, counting Sabathia.

 

Well as you know he's not healthy. In both of the last 2 years he was unable to pitch down the stretch for a team fighting for their playoff lives. He ended the season tearing something his arm and while I don't think it was serious, its still pretty alarming.

 

But then again, Burnett has had similar serious injury issues and he just got a crapload, so I guess I can see your point.

[Rob]

I'm surprised by the lack of interest (at least made public) for Ben Sheets. To me, he was the best pitcher on the market when healthy, counting Sabathia.

 

The when healthy part. I don't know if a team can even get insurance on a guy like Sheets.

 

I'm all for going after Lowe. A ground ball pitcher in Wrigley makes me tingle.

 

Teams can't get big contracts insured since Mo Vaughn.

[Cubswin11]

The Yankees still really haven't done much so far this offseason that will improve on their record from last year IMO. They lost Mussina and Pettitte and they won 34 games combined, CC/Burnett will likely combine for close to that amount. They lost Abreu/Giambi on offense and have only added Swisher, so they have taken a step down there. It's still the Sox/Rays division to lose.

[Mugged By Fluffy]

More of the same from the Yanks. This, even more than the CC signing has got Carl Pavano part 2 written all over it.

[Rob]

More of the same from the Yanks. This, even more than the CC signing has got Carl Pavano part 2 written all over it.

 

Carl Pavano was an average pitcher coming off a career year.

 

Ryan Dempster has Carl Pavano part 2 written all over him.

[Jehrico]

More of the same from the Yanks. This, even more than the CC signing has got Carl Pavano part 2 written all over it.

 

Carl Pavano was an average pitcher coming off a career year.

 

Ryan Dempster has Carl Pavano part 2 written all over him.

Demp was always a high ceiling prospect, and had started an all-star game before developing elbow problems. He's had a few healthy years since then. Burnett is a much, much better comparison to Pavano than Dempster is.

[17 Seconds]

More of the same from the Yanks. This, even more than the CC signing has got Carl Pavano part 2 written all over it.

 

Carl Pavano was an average pitcher coming off a career year.

 

Ryan Dempster has Carl Pavano part 2 written all over him.

Demp was always a high ceiling prospect, and had started an all-star game before developing elbow problems. He's had a few healthy years since then. Burnett is a much, much better comparison to Pavano than Dempster is.

 

In a sense of health risk he is, but not performance. Burnett is good when he's on the field, the risk is his health. Dempster risk is his performance.

 

As for the signing, it's way too much, but it's the Yankees. They can afford it.

 

A rotation of

 

CC

Joba

Burnett

Wang

Lowe/Hughes/kennedy/Pettitte

 

is pretty filthy. Wth more potential signings to come from Boston/NY/TB, that division is going to be insane next year

[Yanksfan1523]

The only problem I have here is those last 2 years, they are simply death. I hope they front loaded the contract, or at least made is 16.5 each year. Once the word got out that ATL was offering 5 years, I really wanted the Yankees to turn towards Sheets.

 

I really thought Cashman had us heading toward 185 million in payroll and being close to the threshhold after next season. I guess 3rd place killed the youth movement. Yankees are looking at 197 million (after the asinine Cameron trade is completed.) and very little chance of winning a World Series (in my eyes).

 

Hughes is not out of options and should start the season in SWB. Cashman has repeatedly said he has no desire to trade Hughes. But he also said that the Yankees were not going to spend as much as they did last off-season. So who knows what will come out of this organization next?