Aj

Just heard that Burnett signed with the Phillies for around $16 million. Would have been nice to have in Pgh for 1 more year, but not worth that kind of money.
Should have looked first, I guess.
By Travis Sawchik
Published: Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014, 12:42 p.m.
Updated 15 minutes ago
The A.J. Burnett offseason saga – and his tenure as a Pittsburgh Pirate - drew to a close Wednesday as the veteran pitcher reached an agreement with the Philadelphia Phillies, a source with knowledge of the situation told the Tribune-Review. The deal is for one-year and $16 million, according to multiple reports.
Burnett said last year his preference was to play for the Pirates in 2014 or retire. But after mulling retirement, Burnett decided last month to return to pitch and he also elected to take his services to the open market.
Burnett's preference was to pitch near his Monkton, Md. offseason home and he was also believed to prefer pitching in the National League, where he resurrected his career after the Pirates acquired him in a February 2012 trade with the New York Yankees.
The Pirates declined to extend a one-year qualifying offer of $14.1 million to Burnett in November, which would have given the club draft pick compensation had Burnett signed elsewhere. At the winter meetings, Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said the club was hesitant to commit such a significant percentage of the team's payroll to one player and was unlikely to offer a top-of-the rotation pitcher like Burnett market rate. The qualifying offer marks 18 percent share of an $80 million payroll, which is roughly where the Pirates' 40-man payroll is expected to be to open the season.
Burnett earned $16.5 million last season in the last year of his contract, though the New York Yankees paid $8 million of his salary. Burnett went 10-11 with a 3.30 ERA last season giving the Pirates' 191 quality innings. According to wins above replacement, Burnett's 2013 performance was worth $20 million.
Investing in a 37-year-old pitcher is risky but Burnett has displayed few signs of aging. Burnett led the National League in groundball rate and strikeout rate last season. Reports suggested that as many as 15 teams had expressed interest in Burnett over the last two weeks since he announced he would pitch in 2014.
Burnett was especially attractive to teams because he required no draft pick compensation if signed.
The signing means free agent acquisition Edinson Volquez is the favorite to replace Burnett in the starting rotation.