Why In The World Would Anyone Want To Trade For AJ Burnett

It would be a certified miracle if the Yankees could get rid of A.J. Burnett

ESPN.com-The New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates have a framework in place for a possible A.J. Burnett deal and are working through conditions in that framework, baseball sources said Sunday.

The Yankees have been engaged in talks with four teams but the Pirates have emerged as the front-runner, sources said.

One of the clubs was among teams Burnett can veto per his contract, a source said, and the right-hander was unwilling to give in on that team. It was uncertain what teams were in the bidding for Burnett beyond Pittsburgh.

The Pirates and Yankees began their discussions with lots of common ground because New York wants to move Burnett, who is owed $33 million for the next two seasons, and Pittsburgh has been looking for a veteran starter who can provide innings.

Like it was bad enough to be apart of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, but man oh man, if they decide to add A.J. Burnett to their repertoire of little-to-no talent, their surely going nowhere fast. Well, actually, they've been going nowhere fast since 1992. But a move like adding A.J. Burnett is absolutely unnecessary, it's down right stupid.

I think we've seen enough of A.J. Burnett to know that he is a grade "A" nutcase. The guy is certifiably out of his mind, and mixing that with pitching in the majors is a disaster waiting to happen. He is about as inconsistent as a schizophrenic in solitary confinement; he isn't good. He hasn't been good since, well before he got Tommy John surgery in 2003. Do not say that serviceable is the same as being a quality pitcher. One game he's out there hurling his signature knuckle curve like it was an unhittable whiffle ball. But the next game Burnett can't escape the first inning. AJ is 34-35 with the Yankees, basically signaling his inconsistency as an exact science: win one, lose one. How anyone is trying to actually acquire this guy is beyond me. If the Yankees can deal him, they will surely eat the contract, thank whatever Lord they believe in and throw a celebratory party that P Diddy would be impressed by.

But then again we are talking about the Pittsburgh Pirates. This is an organization spent a mind-numbing amount of time in the MLB cellar. They've actually patented the phrase "cellar dweller." So we should not be surprised by their pursuit of A.J. Burnett in the least bit. I mean last year they made some noise by leading the NL central at the All-Star break, but in quintessential Pirates fashion, their bandwagon broke down and everyone got dysentery. If this is the move they think will help them avoid another 2nd half debacle then they are clearly lacking any sensibility. Burnett will do nothing but let up home runs and throw tantrums in the dugout. The Pirates are a young team with potential, they don't need the newest insane asylum attendee in their rotation.

When I read this I spit out my coffee. A.J. Burnett is the talk of a trade? Four teams are pursuing him? Oh my god what has this league come to? Yeah, that's a joke. I don't know what a team can see in a guy who has failed time and time again to find an ounce of consistency and trended south in the Yankees rotation the day he got there. If I was an MLB GM I'd be avoiding Burnett like the plague, Detroit and Long John Silver's.

If the Yankees can trade Burnett then, I don't even know what to say. Awestruck. Thank God Isiah Thomas isn't a baseball GM, you know he'd throw the entire team to try and get AJ "I've got a ton of potential, but only used once or twice" Burnett. Unbelievable.