The Big Lead

Yankees Highlight A.J. Burnett's Wild Pitches in Press Release Announcing Trade

By Tim Ryan

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The Yankees and Pirates made a deal for A.J. Burnett official last night, with the Bombers agreeing to pay roughly $18 million of the remaining $31.1 million on the pitcher’s contract and in return, the Yankees receiving two minor league players from the Pirates system. What’s interesting and somewhat hilarious was the sincere effort by New York to ensure they sent Burnett on his way with a swift kick in the ass.

From the official Yankees press release:

In his three seasons with the club he went 34-35 with a 4.79 ERA (584.0IP, 311ER) in 99 games (98 starts). His 58 wild pitches recorded during his three-year stint with the Yankees (2009-11) were the most for any Major League pitcher over a three-season span since Tony Cloninger threw 62 wild pitches from 1964 through 1966, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He posted an 11-11 record with a 5.15 ERA (190.1IP, 109ER) in 33 appearances (32GS) with the Yankees in 2011, setting career-highs in home runs allowed (31) and tying a career-high in earned runs allowed, while ranking first with a franchise-record 25 wild pitches – the most by any Major League pitcher in a single season since the start of the 2000s and the fifth most since 1900.

Wow. Why not just send A.J. through a wood chipper and ship the bloody remains to Pittsburgh? The only thing missing here was “in summation, A.J. Burnett sucked as a New York Yankee.” For a guy who was part of some decent moments — they did win the World Series in his first year in New York and he stepped up in his final start as a Yankee — it seems a little unnecessary and unprofessional to bury his face in the dirt while you pay millions to another team to take on his services. Pretty sure he’s been humbled already.

Perhaps the organization is still furious with Burnett for cursing out Joe Girardi in August? And you know GM Brian Cashman gave this press release a once-over before it went out. The pint-sized, unassuming fella is a cold-blooded killer.

[via Yankees MLB]