Sox now "fully engaged" in Burnett talks

[jacksonianmarch]

http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-spswisher1119,0,3430088.story

 

You had to know this was gonna happen. The rumblings since prior to the FA period were saying that the sox would make a run at Burnett. I think the Post article flushed em out. Signing Burnett and keeping wakefield in the rotation would seemingly close out the rotation. One thing it would guarantee is that Buchholz and Bowden stay in AAA as starters, building up innings, while Masterson likely would stay in the pen (or be traded). And with beckett and wake being FA's after 2009, it might be a good way to build up innings and confidence prior to giving them a full fledged spot in the rotation

[Cocos Disciples]

Go for it.

[Dojji]

Druther go after Lowe.

[riverside sluggers]

Jacko, Beckett has an option year for 2010

[BoSox21]

Burnett definitely shores up the rotation for 2009, I like it.

 

The only uncertainty Id have is that Burnett is either really, really good or really, really bad and ends up the reason with an ERA in the mid-to-high 3s. He's basically Tim Wakefield with a half-run better ERA. So that being said, Id be curious to see how he'd handle the criticism following one of his really rough outing.

[TheKilo]

I actually hate this.

[YanksHater213]

I like it until he gets hurt and we have to bring up an unready Buchholz/Bowden to start for a prolonged period of time.

 

He's come of his only two 200 inning seasons missing major time.

 

He threw 204 in 2002 and threw 23 in 2003. He threw 209 in 2005 and 135 in 2006. He threw 221 last year, so you do the math.

 

I'd rather not spend money on an injury, and while those things are hard to predict, it's been a constant throughout this guys career.

 

That being said, I'd take a 3.75-4 ERA behind Dice-K, Lester, and Beckett.

[soxfan17881]

I actually hate this.

 

Simple and too the point, but why?

[TheKilo]

I find AJ Burnett to be vastly overrated and a large injury concern. I can't think giving the guy 5/80+ is a wise investment.

[BSN07]

I like Burnett. But at that $ it makes me weary 5/80M is alot if the reports of the Yanks offer is true, I hate to see the Sox exceed this... But in the end it might just be a ploy to jack the price up for the Yankees. The more Money the Sox can get the Yanks to spend on one certain player, I guess means the less they have to spend elsewhere.

 

 

IMO this is a smoke and mirrors act. I think the Sox are going to go after Teixeria. Maybe the whole Burnett thing is to keep other teams worrying about him, while the Sox go around everyone and sign Tex. I could be totally wrong of course, but I think it's more likely to see Tex get 7yrs/150M and Penny get 2 years 18-20M, then Burnett getting 5/80M+ from the Sox.

[NateGrey]

. i'm for it, burnett as a #4 would be filthy .

[redsoxrules]

It's still too early to tell, but the Red Sox and Yankees could get involved in a tug of war over free-agent pitcher A. J. Burnett. An unnamed industry source told the New York Daily News the Red Sox plan to make a run at Burnett. The source also said the Red Sox have already discussed Burnett with Burnett's agent, Darek Braunecker. Newsday reported Wednesday that, according to an unnamed source close to Burnett, the Red Sox have significantly increased their involvement in Burnett over the last day and a half and are now "fully engaged." The source said that six teams are in contention for Burnett: the Yankees, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Braves, Phillies and Orioles. The Yankees, meanwhile, are preparing to make an offer to Burnett, speculated by the New York Post to be in the five-year, $80 million range. An unnamed Yankees official, though, shot down the figure to the Daily News, calling it "nonsense." According to a Newsday source, the Yankees' opening offer will not be more than four years and will not be anywhere close to $80 million. When contacted by the Daily News, Braunecker would not give specifics as to which teams have submitted offers. "Talks are progressing on a number of fronts," Braunecker wrote Tuesday in a text message. ...While confirming his team's offer to C.C. Sabathia, Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner also said his team was prepared to make offers to A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe. "Yes," Steinbrenner said when asked if an offer was made to Sabathia. "And we're prepared to make offers to Burnett and Lowe."... According to a report in the Toronto Star, the Blue Jays have an offer ready for Burnett for $54 million for four years that they have been waiting to make to Braunecker... From the Globe's Tony Massarotti: Burnett has long been a favorite of owner John Henry, who owned the Marlins when the talented righthander pitched for the club, but his asking price will be so steep that at least one major league general manager believes the Red Sox will not invest the $16 million-$18 million annually that it could take to sign a pitcher who seems motivated only in seasons in which his contract is up. (Before this year, Burnett went 20-16 for the Jays, but pitched just over 300 innings combined in two seasons.) According to the Globe's Nick Cafardo, the Sox don't want to extend themselves that long contractually or money-wise for Burnett.

[TheKilo]

Trading for Ramon Ramirez and making Masterson the 4 makes a whole lot of sense to me.

[BSN07]

Masterson/Ramirez could get moved in a bigger move. Don't count your eggs yet.

[Dojji]

Speaking of counting eggs, no one from either front office has even confirmed the Crisp-for-Ramirez trade as far as I know.

[TheKilo]

Apparently WEEI confirmed the deal

[Dojji]

But that's WEEI.

[TheKilo]

When has 'EEI had a record of getting these things wrong?

[a700hitter]

Didn't Burnett get called out by management for sitting out with minor aches in 2007? I think he may have a little dog in him.

[Dipre]

Burnett is a Primadonna, and that's about all i'm gonna say about that.

 

5/80 for him is plain ridiculous.

[BSN07]

http://http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8816036

 

In early September, a rival executive told me that the Red Sox were planning a major push for right-hander A.J. Burnett if he became a free agent.

 

The Red Sox indeed are interested in Burnett, according to major-league sources.

 

The question is to what extent.

 

The Sox generally resist giving long-term contracts to starting pitchers, the exception being the six-year deal they awarded right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka when he was 26.

 

Burnett turns 32 on Jan. 3. The Yankees intend to offer him a four-year deal, according to one source, not the five-year, $80-million proposal that was reported as a possibility on Tuesday.

 

The Sox, in theory, could

[msubulldogs21]

Trading for Ramon Ramirez and making Masterson the 4 makes a whole lot of sense to me.

 

I'd much rather do that than give Burnett $20M a year.

[BSN07]

Unless Masterson really comes to grip with a 3rd pitch, he's going to be better utilized out of the BP. The Sox need to add a SP. Maybe it's not Burnett, but I would bet they add someone.

[TheKilo]

Masterson pitched six innings in every start last season except for one.

 

That has a lot of value.

 

If he can give 180 innings at 4.3-4.5 ERA pitching, there's value there.

[BSN07]

Masterson pitched six innings in every start last season except for one.

 

That has a lot of value.

 

If he can give 180 innings at 4.3-4.5 ERA pitching, there's value there.

 

Oh don't get me wrong. I have been stating Masterson's "value" as a SP for weeks now. I just think it's for another team. Masterson's value is greater for the Sox in the BP. He is a very important bridge to Papelbon. And not saying doesn't have SP value for Boston, but SP is probably easier for them to aquire say via FA. There some decent options available on the FA market. There isn't s*** for 8th innig guys.

[Paradisecity]

I would rather spend that 80M towards locking up a power guy for the lineup than spending it on a pitcher who has averaged less than 150ip per year over his career and 170ip over the last 5.

 

NOT TO MENTION...

 

the guy has hit 175 innings once in the 6 years his contract wasn't up for reneg.

[BSN07]

I love Burnett's stuff. I am not sold on his drive. I was for signing him earlier this offseason. But the more I thought about it, I came to a different conclusion.

[TheKilo]

Oh don't get me wrong. I have been stating Masterson's "value" as a SP for weeks now. I just think it's for another team. Masterson's value is greater for the Sox in the BP. He is a very important bridge to Papelbon. And not saying doesn't have SP value for Boston' date=' but SP is probably easier for them to aquire say via FA. There some decent options available on the FA market. There isn't s*** for 8th innig guys.[/quote']

The Sox just traded for one.

[TheKilo]

I would rather spend that 80M towards locking up a power guy for the lineup than spending it on a pitcher who has averaged less than 150ip per year over his career and 170ip over the last 5.

 

NOT TO MENTION...

 

the guy has hit 175 innings once in the 6 years his contract wasn't up for reneg.

 

Yup, I'm in this exact boat.

[Cocos Disciples]

Yeah the Crisp-Ramirez deal may actually close this deal off more than it opens it, with Masterson probably moving to the rotation. Papelbon, Okajima, MDC and Ramirez is a good base for the bullpen, with Javier Lopez being solid too.