What happens with Burnett?

[Yankees1962]

I see he was invited to Spring Training as a "special instructor". (I believe in Yankees-speak that means you get a paid vacation to FLA and get to hang around with a few of your old teammates).

He'll probably leave them high and dry again. The Yankees never learn.

You got it!

[fredgmuggs]

You got it!

Well, just to be clear, I'm not your Venus.

[JDPNYY]

I see he was invited to Spring Training as a "special instructor". (I believe in Yankees-speak that means you get a paid vacation to FLA and get to hang around with a few of your old teammates).

He'll probably leave them high and dry again. The Yankees never learn.

What's he gonna teach them? How to speak really slowly with a southern drawl?

Great.

[Gigi Buffon]

Honestly, I am surprised by the deal. I assumed that the Yankees would have to eat close to all but $8M of the remaining contract to get any deal done.

That Cashman got the Pirates to take $13M and give us two prospects - even though they are mid-level prospects - is, IMO, a great deal for the Yankees.

Clears payroll and, more importantly, gets Burnett off the roster.

Agreed. I figured they'd have to eat much more of the contract. I don't have as negative an opinion of AJ as most people here do. He took responsibility when he pitched badly and I wish him luck.

[Ram Man]

Well, just to be clear, I'm not your Venus.

And not your fire.

[JDPNYY]

And not your fire.

Soul desire????

[apalradio]

The problem was created when Burnett ate our lunch every time he faced us when with the Blue Jays. He made the guys on the club beg Cash to get him when he hit the market. From that perspective he wasn't the first guy to be up and down and then get it together later in his career, and he did it in the AL East. Was he paid too much? Everybody gets paid to much, that's the Yankees' way. Was Game 2 of the 2009 WS worth it? Yup.

Fellow old timers on this thread will remember Rich McKinney, who destroyed the Yanks in the early 70's while with the White Sox. We had to have him. Gave up Stan Bahnsen for him. Bahnsen wins 20 with the Sox, McKinney turns out to be a pot smoking nut case who hits .111 and can't field a grounder at 3rd. Sometimes a scout can only see so much.

Thanks for the reminder. Yeah, I remember scratching my head about that one back then, and wondering why there was any interest in this guy. I don't remember who our GM was at that time, but he too might have been a pot smoking nut case.

[JL25and3]

Well, just to be clear, I'm not your Venus.

I never believed they were saying "Venus." But then, I mostly heard it over a little black transistor radio.

[JL25and3]

What's he gonna teach them? How to speak really slowly with a southern drawl?

Great.

He'll take over the Louisiana drawl coaching job from Guidry. The guys will speak more slowly but more coherently.

[Shadoux101]

What on earth are you talking about? They didn't give him a fair deal? Please.

I don't think he was even offered a contract when he left for Houston.

[nnysiny]

I don't think he was even offered a contract when he left for Houston.

the Yankees offered a 3-year deal

[JDPNYY]

I don't think he was even offered a contract when he left for Houston.

Wow. Just wow.

[Shadoux101]

the Yankees offered a 3-year deal

I see. He was upset over something, I thought they had gone through the motions without really trying to keep him.

I just saw they offered $39 million over 3. Doesn't sound terrible.

[smckdwn989]

addition by subtraction. me likes.

But i still appreciate one thing from Burnett. Game 2 of the 2009 WS.

[ArodEra]

When you look at what we're reportedly going to do with the AJ money we get back, it kind of takes some of the joy out of it saying adios to him.

As much as I disliked him, for $6.5 million, I'd prefer pitching insurance against injuries and the inevitable disappointments over Eric "I had a great 2011 spring training but haven't done anything in 5 years" Chavez and a very limited, old, declining Ibanez as a platoon DH. To make matters worse, Ibanez's post season numbers are as bad or worse than Teixeira's and Swisher's. Should be fun watching all those automatic outs in Oct.

[Saxmania]

As much as I disliked him, for $6.5 million, I'd prefer pitching insurance against injuries

I like pitching insurance too, but be honest - do you think having AJ Burnett is $6m better than Hughes/Garcia, Warren, or Phelps? Because I'd rather have one of them as insurance, and they're cheaper.

If Burnett were the long man in the pen, and a starter went down in June, this forum would be full of 'he's only getting the chance to start because he's costing us $17m/year', not 'at least we don't have to give Warren or Phelps a shot!'. We just saved $13m and a roster spot without significantly weakening the team; I'm a fan.

Ibanez's post season numbers are as bad or worse than Teixeira's and Swisher's. Should be fun watching all those automatic outs in Oct.

Postseason stats for all of those players represent approximately 1/5th of a season's sample size. I'm not sweating it.

Ibanez isn't very exciting, though, I'd agree. Wish there was something more creative out there. But, apparently . . .

Be seeing you,

Saxmania

[ThePinStripes]

addition by subtraction. me likes.

But i still appreciate one thing from Burnett. Game 2 of the 2009 WS.

His start in 2011 was great too.

In all fairness, we made the playoffs every year he was here and he did fine in the playoffs.
2009- he was hit or miss, but we won the series so the team couldn't have done better

2010- his 6IP, 5ER vs the Rangers wasn't pretty, but no pitchers did a particularly good job vs the Rangers that post season. Our offense sucked and their offense was ON FIRE. No one could shut them down till they met San Fran- and they tee'ed off some great pitchers (lincecum) there too.

2011- one great start

Can't hold too much resentment against him since he didn't really cost us anything in terms of team success except maybe some more wins in the regular season (which wouldn't do much but make for better stats). Basically, when he failed, it didn't end up mattering much and when he did well, it helped us or didn't matter.

With that said, great move. I can't believe someone thought he was worth $13/2yrs+ prospects. $13M off the payroll = $18.2M with Lux Tax.

[NelsonMuntz]

His start in 2011 was great too.

In all fairness, we made the playoffs every year he was here and he did fine in the playoffs.
2009- he was hit or miss, but we won the series so the team couldn't have done better

2010- his 6IP, 5ER vs the Rangers wasn't pretty, but no pitchers did a particularly good job vs the Rangers that post season. Our offense sucked and their offense was ON FIRE. No one could shut them down till they met San Fran- and they tee'ed off some great pitchers (lincecum) there too.

2011- one great start

Can't hold too much resentment against him since he didn't really cost us anything in terms of team success except maybe some more wins in the regular season (which wouldn't do much but make for better stats). Basically, when he failed, it didn't end up mattering much and when he did well, it helped us or didn't matter.

With that said, great move. I can't believe someone thought he was worth $13/2yrs+ prospects. $13M off the payroll = $18.2M with Lux Tax.

Agreed. We bought a duck and it quacked ... Don't blame the duck. But kudos to Cashman for making the best out of a bad situation.

[kan_t]

With that said, great move. I can't believe someone thought he was worth $13/2yrs+ prospects. $13M off the payroll = $18.2M with Lux Tax.

Luxury tax counts average salary of the contract. The Yankees will save $2.08M luxury tax which means a total of $15.08M saving for the coming two seasons.

[hellonewman]

He'll take over the Louisiana drawl coaching job from Guidry.

Eh, he moved to Texas when he was 9. (Word has it Louisiana offered the Pettittes a 3-year contract but they declined.) I never thought he sounded all that Cajun.

[ThePinStripes]

Luxury tax counts average salary of the contract. The Yankees will save $2.08M luxury tax which means a total of $15.08M saving for the coming two seasons.

We have 7.5M off our payroll this year, thus we are 7.5M less over the threshold and 40% of that is 2.6M
Likewise, we have 7.5M off our payroll next year and 40% of that is 2.6M

Total = 5.2M

What am I missing here?

[longtimeyankeefan]

We have 7.5M off our payroll this year, thus we are 7.5M less over the threshold and 40% of that is 2.6M
Likewise, we have 7.5M off our payroll next year and 40% of that is 2.6M

Total = 5.2M

What am I missing here?

Why are you subtracting the luxury tax savings from the salary savings. These savings are in addition to.

In other words, if we kept the $7.5M, we would also pay the $2.6 and our total num,ber would be $10.1 for this contract.

Thus, by eliminating $7.5M in salary, we save $2.6M in luxury tax and $10.1M overall.

[Petey]

I'm not sure if I'm the first to post this, but I really wanted to see A.J. Burnett give Derek Jeter a creampie. I'm upset this is never going to happen.

[JDPNYY]

I'm not sure if I'm the first to post this, but I really wanted to see A.J. Burnett give Derek Jeter a creampie. I'm upset this is never going to happen.

Perhaps now Jeter will feel compelled to actually get some walk off hits.

[Allan]

Perhaps now Jeter will feel compelled to actually get some walk off hits.

Ouch!!!