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| A.J. Burnett |
The Yankees were stuck at 26 rings for a long time, so long that the Red Sox even managed to grab two rings in the meantime.
In an effort to get back to the top, the Yankees went out and did what they do best — spend. They built around Derek Jeter, A-Rod, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada by handing big-money contracts to A.J. Burnett, CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira, to name a few.
Years later, after the 27th World Championship was attained, Yankees fans are itching to get out of Burnett's contract, even if it means paying a good chunk of it while he plays for another team.
Yes, there are a lot of moments Yankees fans would like to forget with Burnett.
And yes, if you look at his numbers as a whole, he didn’t quite live up to the figures in his contract, according to many Yankees fans who call into MLB Network Radio.
But, you have to ask yourself, how much is a championship worth?
Burnett originally signed a 5-year, $82.5M contract, and if the trade goes through to Pittsburgh, it’s likely the Yankees will have given Burnett about $75M when all is said and done.
So, again; how much is a championship worth?
Many fan bases around the nation wouldn’t mind paying such a contract if the man helps you win a title. Joe Blanton's contract with the Phillies is a bit much now when you look at it, but he played an integral role in leading the Phillies to a 2008 World Series. That's why I don't personally complain that the Phils paid him $10.5M last year and will pay him another $8.5M this year. To me, a Phillies fan, it's worth it.
Now let's apply that to Burnett.
Now let's apply that to Burnett.
Don’t forget, it was the Phillies who took control of the 2009 World Series with a big 6-1 win in Game 1 at Yankee Stadium. They took down Sabathia, and in Philadelphia, fans were thinking, “Dynasty.”
But then, A.J. Burnett took the mound.
He had such great movement on his pitches that night, completely baffling batter after batter in the Phillies lineup. It was a magical postseason performance. He went seven innings, allowing just one run on four hits and two walks while striking out nine.
The top of the Phillies lineup — Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard — went 1-for-13 with six strikeouts.
It was a series-momentum-changing win.
Even still, there are naysayers to this argument.
I found a small blog post that talks about how people — I guess myself included — are crazy to think that Burnett’s Yankees’ career is justified by this one win because if you look, he completely stumbled in Game 5 of the same World Series, lasting just two innings, giving up six runs.
I found a small blog post that talks about how people — I guess myself included — are crazy to think that Burnett’s Yankees’ career is justified by this one win because if you look, he completely stumbled in Game 5 of the same World Series, lasting just two innings, giving up six runs.
But at that point, entering Game 5, the Yankees had a 3-1 lead on the series.
Without that Game 2 performance, the Phillies head back to Citizens Bank Park with a 2-0 lead, and in my opinion, they close it out at home. There's no doubt in my mind that the way Burnett painted the corners in Game 2, the Phillies were absolutely frustrated and it carried over to Game 3.
So you can point to Burnett's Game 5 meltdown all you want and you can hate him for similar performances throughout his career; just don’t forget him for the one magically game that led to World Series No. 27.
Burnett's Future in the NL
The trade is pending, but I heard A.J. Burnett in an interview the other day and he was asked about pitching for the Pirates and he used the word "We" when talking about Pittsburgh. To me, you don't say that unless you're certain you're going to be part of that team.
With that information, let's start projecting.
What can Burnett do for the Pirates?
In my opinion, he'll do some great things, especially in the fantasy baseball world. And for the Pirates, I have to say, I really like this move.
Burnett's a strikeout pitcher, averaging 8.2 per nine innings in his career, which is exactly what he averaged in 190.1 innings last season when he struck out 173 batters.
With that information, let's start projecting.
What can Burnett do for the Pirates?
In my opinion, he'll do some great things, especially in the fantasy baseball world. And for the Pirates, I have to say, I really like this move.
Burnett's a strikeout pitcher, averaging 8.2 per nine innings in his career, which is exactly what he averaged in 190.1 innings last season when he struck out 173 batters.
Moving to the National League where he’ll not only avoid the heavy hitting lineups of the AL East, but he’ll also get to pitch against the Astros and the Cubs several, will create great potential.
From a fantasy standpoint, I personally can see him as a reliable starter in your lineup. With the Pirates, I project at least 14 to 16 wins with a 3.50 ERA, perhaps lower, and close to 200 strikeouts.
Am I crazy to think this? Well, look at his stats. In 37 interleague games — which is a few more starts than the number he’ll get with the Pirates this season — he is 18-11 with a 3.70 ERA and 230 strikeouts.
In the JimmyJam League, where the first round is actually the 18th round after keepers, I can certainly see Burnett being a high round pickup.
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