Pittsburg Pirates: A.J. Burnett Gets a Fresh Start

Years of speculation, rumors, and uncertainty finally ended for right-handed pitcher A.J. Burnett (North Little Rock, Ark.) on Saturday when the New York Yankees traded him to the Pittsburgh Pirates for two minor league prospects.

Once the trade is made official pending a physical and Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig agreeing to the financial terms of the deal, Burnett will escape the scrutiny of the New York media returning to the National League East where he began his promising career with the Florida Marlins.

Burnett debuted in the Show with the Marlins during the 1999 season after being drafted in the eighth round of the 1995 amateur draft by the New York Mets. In 1998 Burnett was involved in a trade that brought Al Leiter to New York sending him to Miami.

A.J. spent seven seasons in Miami on a pitching staff that included the great young arms of Josh Beckett, Dontrelle Willis, Carl Povano, and Brad Penny. Of the talented group scouts thought that Burnett had the best stuff on the staff when he was pitching well as evident by his no-hitter thrown in 2001 against the San Diego Padres.

Burnett recorded career best numbers during his three years with the Toronto Blue Jays before joining the Yankees in 2009. As a Blue Jay he won 38 games while only losing 26 notching a season best 18 wins in 2008. In 2008 he also led the majors with 231 strikeouts. 

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