Let's Break it Down: The A.J. Burnett Trade

Burnett (above) was traded to Pittsburgh this afternoon

Welcome to Garden State Sports Guy's second edition of "Let's Break it Down." If you recall the first installment came following the blockbuster Jesus Montero-for-Michael Pineda swap earlier this winter. Ironically this second installment comes following another trade involving the New York Yankees. This time however this trade involved the polarizing and mired (and pricey) starting pitcher A.J. Burnett. Burnett was signed by the Yankees following the 2008 season and played on the 2009 team that won the  World Series. However Burnett certainly did not live up to his hefty contract (5 years, $82 million) so the Yankees spent most of this offseason trying to deal him while also willing to pay a large portion of the money that they owed him.

And they found a suitor finally after Burnett balked an offer from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim according to ESPN.com's Wallace Matthews. That suitor is the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates acquired Burnett this afternoon, pending league approval which should undoubtedly occur by the start of next week. In exchange the Pirates sent two low-level minor league players in Exicardo Cayones and Diego Moreno. The Yankees also agreed to pay $20 million of the $33 million owed to Burnett over the next two years. 

At first eye's glance this deal for the Yankees is excellent. They got rid of a hefty overpaid pitcher that never lived up to his contract and following the signing of Hiroki Kuroda and trade for Michael Pineda, and with CC and Nova virtually locked into the rotation, New York's brass probably realized that it was not good to have a pitcher that was owed $33 million and that wasn't very good to be competing for the final spot in the rotation. So even with the low return with prospects who may never see the field, this deal given those details, and the fanbase, is a clear victory for the New York Yankees. 

But, hey, stranger things have happened. I mean, Javier Vazquez was a Cy Young candidate in 2009 and he had dreadful years under the bright lights in The Bronx. So I could look like a total fool if Burnett pitches well for Pittsburgh's ball club. But right now, there's no way that the Yankees don't win this trade at all.