AJ Burnett is staying in Pennsylvania, but he won’t be back with the Pittsburgh Pirates, instead Burnett has agreed to a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, worth a reported $16 million dollars.
Since leaving New York for Pittsburgh, the now 38-year-old right-handed starter 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 suggest that he can be a front of the rotation starter for the Phillies.
The Phillies were quick to make the move after learning that their ace Cole Hamels could miss the beginning of the season due to a biceps injury.
Still Hamels shouldn’t be out that long and a 1-2-3 punch of Hamels, Cliff Lee, and AJ Burnett gives the Phillies one of the best staffs in baseball.
However questions remain about the Phillies hitting and defence, especially given the age of roster, and the significant injury issues they have undergone in recent years.
The move means that the two main pieces remaining in the shallow starting market remain Ervin Santana and Ubaldo Jimenez. Both Pitchers have free agent draft pick compensation attached as their teams made qualifying offers. There is no compensation due with the Burnett signing.
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