How the Pineda Deal Helps A.J. Burnett
One winner not discussed in the Yankees blockbuster deal that imported Michael Pineda is A.J. Burnett.
We all know that Burnett is paid like a top-of-the-rotation starter, but his performance resembles a typical fifth starter. He’s an inconsistent innings eater that struggles to produce an overall league average performance. With the acquisition of Pineda, Burnett becomes the most overpaid fifth starter in all of baseball and that is a good thing.
Burnett was given way too much attention this past summer. This was mainly due to the fact the Yankees didn’t have much controversy after the Jorge Posada-Joe Girardi blowout in May. The saturation of media coverage in New York necessitates daily opinion columns that sometimes run dry in the dog days of the season. Burnett’s struggles were the one dark cloud in what was a relatively stress-free Yankees season.
With a rotation that features Sabathia, Kuroda, Nova, and Pineda in the first four spots wouldn’t a potential Burnett 2012 record of 11-11 and 5.00 ERA be palatable in the fifth spot? How many teams go five deep in pitchers? How many fifth starters can dominate a game like Burnett? If all shakes out well he won’t be asked to pitch in the 2012 playoffs as he was in 2011.
Ironically, Burnett did step up and extend the Yankees season an extra day with his Game 4 performance in Detroit. What makes his presence in the backend of the rotation so dangerous is he can relax and just pitch. Maybe with that foundation he can produce some of his best results in pinstripes. If not, will anyone care if he is inconsistent? Pineda will probably get more scorn if he struggles because he cost the Yankees their top prospect; especially if Montero is doing an Edgar Martinez impression out in Seattle. Burnett is just wasting the Steinbrenners money.
Yes, A.J. Burnett should be very thankful the Yankees imported a young arm with star potential. It takes the attention off his deficiencies for the first time during his New York tenure.
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