The shallow market for free agent starting pitchers got a boost today when 37-year-old free agent right hander A.J. Burnett announced that he was not going to retire, and that while he would consider a return to the Pirates, he also was open to signing somewhere other than Pittsburgh.
After the signings of Masahiro Tanaka with the Yankees, and Matt Garza with the Brewers, this year’s pitching class seemed very thin. The top two starters left, Ervin Santana and Ubaldo Jiminez both require the team that signs them to give draft pick compensation to their former clubs. This is not the case with Burnett as he did not receive a $14.1 million qualifying offer from the Pittsburgh Pirates prior to the start of free agency. Bronson Arroyo rounds out the list of proven and available starting pitchers.
Since leaving New York for Pittsburgh, Burnett has seemingly found his game and been a quality starter for the Pirates. He was one of the top starters in the National League last year, despite his 10-11 record. He simply didn’t get the run support, and after throwing 191 innings with a 3.30 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 209 strikeouts and only 67 walks he should have finished with a better won-loss mark. His numbers though should make him an interesting option for many teams still looking to add another top three starter to their rotation.
It will be interesting to see if a bidding war erupts given the lack of compensation needed, the lack of available options, and Burnett’s good numbers over the last two years. The Pirates, Mariners, Orioles, Blue Jays, Indians, and others could all be in the mix of teams looking for more starting pitching prior to the start of the 2014 major league season.
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Main Photo Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports
