Reports out
of Arkansas (rather bizarre source), are that free agent pitcher A.J. Burnett
has signed a one-year, $16 million contract with the Philadelphia
Phillies. This comes after Burnett said
he would only pitch in Pittsburgh, then retired, then unretired, then wanted to
test the free agent market.
Jay’s
Take – The fact that the initial report is coming out of Arkansas, made
me initially doubt this report. They can’t
even pronounce their state correctly; no less use a computer to report baseball
rumors out of Eastern Pennsylvania, but it appears to be legit (been confirmed
by the Philadelphia Inquirer and other media outlets).
I was hoping
Burnett was going to sign with the Orioles (he said he wanted to play close to home
and he lives just outside of Baltimore), but I’m not surprised since Baltimore
has done jack shit this offseason (aside from telling players they didn’t pass
a physical). In saying that, I’m not upset he’s here in Philly. It’s a good pickup for them. Burnett’s not going to blow you away, but he’s
a seasoned veteran, who can go deep into a game.
With the
addition of Burnett, the Fightins’ head into the season with a rotation of
Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Miguel Gonzalez (he’s a Cuban guy), Burnett, and Kyle
Kendrick. Well on paper at least. A report this morning came out that Hamels won’t
be ready for the start of the season due to a wonky shoulder. That news isn’t bueno. Burnett is a middle of the rotation
pitcher. He’s not Hamels.
What’s your
take? Hit me up at gimmeasign@gmail.com and let your voice
be heard. Follow me on Twitter
@JayPlatt. Just because…
No comments:
Post a Comment