The New York Yankees have found the latest "undervalued commodity": Teams with sea-based names who are willing to make dumb trades, each dumber than the last.
The Mariners at least got some value for Michael Pineda, forcing the Yankees to give up Jesus Montero, who has a chance to be a great hitter. But with his defensive limitations, Montero has limited upside and here's where an A's fan has to be glad to have Billy Beane calling the shots. For Trevor Cahill, Oakland got back a major league ready pitcher with #1 upside who is now arguably their #1 prospect, plus two other possibly useful pieces. Pineda is younger, cheaper, and better than Cahill and is the type of rare talent who could, and should, bring back a true haul -- and really didn't.
But here's the move that has me scratching my head even more than I have already been scratching elsewhere for years. What were the Pittsburgh Pirates thinking when they agreed to take A.J. Burnett off the Yankees' hands, for the privilege of sending a couple prospects New York's way and pay $13M of Burnett's contract? {Update: Apparently, it's being ME that makes you stupid. When I wrote this post, I didn't realize Burnett had two years left on his contract for that $13M. Oopsies!}
Forget the prospects, as they are likely forgettable. Why would the Pirates pay $13M to add A.J. Burnett to their team? Burnett isn't worth paying $13M, period, and even if he were he would only be worth it to either a team with a huge payroll and few financial concerns, or to a team just in need of one "decent" starting pitcher in order to get over the hump and into serious contention. Pittsburgh is neither. Plus, if a team felt the need to add "a veteran starting pitcher with a track record," they could sign Roy Oswalt for a lot less than $13M. Neal Huntington should be forced to take a long walk off a short plank for making this trade.
Any team with any semblance of a clue would have told the Yankees, "You want us to take Burnett, and $13M of his contract, off your hands? Fine: You send us a good prospect." But apparently, the Yankees' mystique forces teams like the Pirates to say, instead, "Harrrrrrr!!! Got me a tattooed man for me rotation!!!"
Seriously, what does acquiring A.J. Burnett, and paying him $13M, do for the Pittsburgh Pirates? What are they thinking? Are they thinking, or is the parrot making the decisions? With the eye patch over his left eye as he reads the spreadsheets. Unreal. The Yankees' pilfering of Seattle and Pittsburgh is the biggest abuse of seamen since --
-- Never mind.
When you see a deal like the Burnett trade, you understand why the Pirates are an organization that has swum in place for the better part of three decades. The A's may not look like a winning team in 2012, but there's a method to the madness, not just madness. I like my AJs with a Cole at the end, thank you very much.
{end rant} Happy Precedent's Day, and be sure to set one.
0 recs | 26 comments
Roy Oswalt
rejected signing with them, they offered him a contract, and they also tried for edwin jackson before he signed with the nationals.
they went and got starting pitching from where they could, after being rejected those times. I understand the thinking on it, even if he puts up 1.5 WAR per season, that’d make it worth it, and i could see him doing it pitching in the much easier NL Central
guessatomo - February 20, 2012
same reason why the A's had to overpay for Crisp and Cespedes
DDroney - February 20, 2012
Yes
Signing free agents is not always about offering the most money, or best AAV or whatever. Some guys just won’t consider some teams seriously, as we know all too well.
John of Gaunt - February 20, 2012
agree
13 million over 2 seasons for a likely 200 innings per season is a good deal for the Pirates. Might not have handled the pressure of NYC, but in Pittsburgh he should do fine.
Remember, there was a reason the Yankees gave him so much money to begin with – I’d have preferred this deal over signing Colon.
ChuckBudd - February 20, 2012
there's also this part, which is a big IF
IF he’s good enough, and the pirates aren’t contending, they could potentially flip him over to another team and get better prospects than what they gave up
guessatomo - February 20, 2012
There is value to the Pirates for a decent SP
and Burnett could be worth what the Pirates are paying him (and the Yankees just have to pay him to play for someone else), and as guessatomo pointed out, they couldn’t get anyone better, even after they tried. So, the Yankees get prospects probably not worth much, and pay 20 million to a player who does nothing for them. I don’t think it’s a total rip-off at all.
el generico - February 20, 2012
Well it's not like they can get Matt Morris again...
elBONESAW - February 20, 2012
I disagree
I think Burnett will be worth $13MM over two years. 3.86 xFIP last year, and he still cranks it up around 93 mph on average, sounds like a recipe for at least a modest rebirth in Pittsburgh, away from the AL East, NY media and the Yankee Stadium wind tunnels.
John of Gaunt - February 20, 2012
This
It doesn’t take much to be worth $6.5M in performance. Plus, it’s not like the Pirates have a bunch of dudes Burnett is limiting development of.
cuppingmaster - February 20, 2012
What? Serious baseball tweets?
It’s so awesome that baseball is already starting back up. YES!
Billy Frijoles - February 20, 2012
I don't see the Burnett move as bad.
Frankly I think it is a good move for Pittsburgh, a team that has struggled to find pitchers who can go 200 innings. Burnett has done that consistently. To earn his $13M, he needs to be a basically 2.5 WAR pitcher the next two years. He was a 2.9 WAR pitcher past two and I think so much is the psychology involved with pitching in NY. Can’t get anyone to sign there, force the issue and trade. Gave up next to nothing too.
dwishinsky - February 20, 2012
Best abuse of seamen since what?
I want to hear the punchline!
the_rozeboom - February 20, 2012
Ka-CHING!
Tutu-late - February 20, 2012
the trade is all right
But it’s indicative of a larger problem, in that the Yankees have money to burn and the Pirates (and the A’s) don’t.
jdr - February 20, 2012
I thought this thread was specifically making fun of the Mariners..HAHA
tidus - February 20, 2012
We spent $10M on the gamble that Ben Sheets could come back from injury.
AJ seems like a much better gamble. And a lot cheaper.
Tutu-late - February 20, 2012
But, But...
We HAD to purchase Ben Sheets to appease MLB Revenue Sharing.
Colorado Fan - February 20, 2012
Which would also apply to the Pirates, right?
justANotherAsFan - February 21, 2012
I hate to admit this because it makes me look dumb (imagine that),
but I didn’t have my facts straight before writing this post — when I heard the figure “$13M” I thought it was for one year, not over two years, and didn’t check. That certainly makes it a better deal for PIT, so while I still think it’s a meh deal for them I’ll give my rant the old Rosanna Rosanna Danna, “Never mind!”
Nico - February 20, 2012
I'm a fan of both moves
For the Pirates and Mariners. Burnett is actually a pretty good pitcher, and with the Yankees soaking up so much of the cash, he’s got pretty good value and it only cost them two marginal prospects. And Montero is a better player than Pineda (purely my opinion), and if he can spend a few years at Catcher, and then 1B, he’ll be well worth it. Even if he plays below average defensively.
sourstuff - February 20, 2012
I think that Pineda is a beast
And Montero potentially could be as valuable as him. If anything it seems like at best it will be a lateral move. Unless Noesi turns out great. I just don’t see how Montero alone will become more valuable than Pineda.
Billy Frijoles - February 20, 2012 via Android app
The "Beast" is going to get lit up in NY
Talk about a rude awaking, going from Safeco to Yankee Stadium is enough to make a grown man cry, (or so I am told).
adragon707 - February 21, 2012
I like the fact Pineda was traded
Now get rid of Felix!
athleticsperson01 - February 22, 2012
I like the fact Pineda went out of the division
Now get rid of Felix!
athleticsperson01 - February 22, 2012
Yeah! They should trade Felix to US!!!
Tutu-late - February 23, 2012
What, the Yankees don't have a future DH they can swap for Felix?
Nico - February 23, 2012
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