Pirates closing in on Burnett
The Pittsburgh Pirates are the "clear frontrunners" to trade for AJ Burnett according to ESPN's Buster Olney. The Yankees have reportedly been trying to move Burnett, and rid themselves of his $33 million price tag over the next two seasons. New York may have to include cash in the deal to cover some of his future salary.
During his 3 years in the Bronx, Burnett has a 34-35 record, with a 4.79 ERA. His contract does include a no-trade clause, which only pertains to certain teams in major league baseball.
The Yankees acquired Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda earlier this offseason to boost a rotation that already features CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes.
The Pirates finished last season 4th in the NL central. They ranked 17th in major league baseball with a team ERA of 4.04 and ranked 28th in strikeouts.
