A.J. Burnett Inexplicably Vetoes a Trade to the Angels
By Tim Ryan
In the midst of all the rumors hinting that the right-hander would be shipped to the Pittsburgh Pirates, one would think the sudden gift of being sent to a consistently competitive team that won 86 games last year and added Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson in the offseason would be a no-brainer. But Burnett apparently has a list of 10 teams he can refuse trades to and that includes the Angels, though amazingly not the hilarious Pirates.
Since trade talks with the Indians have quickly “cooled off” it looks like we’re back to New York and Pittsburgh squabbling over how much of Burnett’s contract the Yanks are willing to eat. A deal is expected to go down before the weekend since Burnett is due to report to camp on Sunday.
Additional Note: Yes, Burnett has mentioned on more than one occasion that his wife does not like flying, but I don’t buy this excuse. Her personal driver can take her and the kids out to California for the regular season and she can stop and shop in each big city along the way. Problem solved.
Previously: The Pirates and Yankees Have the “Framework of an AJ Burnett Deal in Place”
[via NESN]