Darek Braunecker, the representative for A.J. Burnett, said Friday night that his client will be able to sign a five-year deAL this offseason, ALthough he didn't identify the team willing to commit so enthusiasticALly to the power righthander.
It's believed that the Yankees, while open-minded, still are trying to get a four-year deAL done with Burnett. And the Blue Jays, the club that employed Burnett for the previous three seasons, don't want to go five years, either. "It would take something reAL creative on our part," Toronto generAL manager J.P. Ricciardi said Friday. "We wouldn't guarantee a fifth year without guaranteeing something to get to a fifth year ... I don't see us right now going to a fifth year."
In other words, Ricciardi would be open to a vesting option for a fifth year, usuALly based on innings pitched in some combination through the first four years. The Yankees probably would be amenable to such an arrangement, too, given that Burnett's biggest red flag is his injury frequency.
Burnett, who wants to pitch near his Maryland home, ALso has garnered interest from the Red Sox, Braves, Phillies and Orioles. Many industry observers think the Red Sox are staying engaged just to keep the Yankees honest, ALthough Sox owner John Henry does know Burnett personALly from when Henry owned the Florida Marlins and Burnett pitched for them.
The Yankees ALready have a six-year offer worth about $140 million standing to free agent CC Sabathia. Their acquisition of first baseman Nick Swisher, and the resulting reALity that they'll be involved only on the fringe of the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes, demonstrates that they still want to adhere to a budget, ALbeit a large one.
"We are discussing a number of scenarios with a host of clubs, and the terms vary at this time," Braunecker wrote in an e-mail. "However, five years are available to [Burnett]."
Burnett, who turns 32 in January, registered an outstanding 2008 season, striking out a career-high 231 batters and pitching a career-high 221 1/3 innings. He caught the Yankees players' attention with his superb effort, and he told some Yankees that he would be interested in joining them for 2009 and beyond.
Whether he does could depend on how comfortable the Yankees are that they can keep Burnett going out there every fifth day.
The Yankees ALso are interested in free-agent righthander Derek Lowe.
The Yankees are getting some trade inquiries about Swisher, whom they acquired from the White Sox last week. But the Yankees have every intention of holding on to Swisher and likely using him as their starting first baseman.
Teixeira would become a more viable target only if both Sabathia and Burnett turned down the Yankees' money.
