I think Burnett will get at least 15 million a year. The issue will be length of contract with Burnett.

Oliver Perez is the eptiome of erratic and Boras will be hell to deal with on that deal. I’d pass on him.

I don’t think they will go after Tex. First base will either be solved with within (Posada?) or thru trade.

A Garza-Young type? Well, that’s where Cano comes in.

He’s about the only guy that would bring back an under 30 stud type pitcher.

Yes, I realize he’s a Boras client. He’s also only 27 however. 5 years for him vs. 5 years for Burnett? I don’t know. Which of the two is the greater risk?

Burnett’s infintely more proven. But Perez is younger, seeming less injury-prone, and a lefty.

Are you bipolar or using different computers when you post? You keep flipping between “critical, but stable” and “pull the plug” in your handle and comments!”

LOL. Mine does that too, at times. Depending on what browser I use, and if I’m on the desktop or my laptop. If I change whats next to my name I have to remember to do it on all browsers and both computers. And I’m not good at multitasking sometimes.

It’s also one of the reason I was so vociferously in favor of the Yankees acquiring Santana. I looked at this year’s free-agent pool and saw very little that was especially appetizing.

I guess if you’re left with no better alternative than Burnett because Sabathia goes elsewhere, the Yankees could do worse. I would hope they’re smart enough though to re-groom Joba, if that’s the case because Burnett is going to spend at least one stint on the DL; he does almost every year. Ergo, Riccardi’s admonition that Burnett had to learn the difference between being “hurt” and being “injured”

What about acquiring a pitcher via trade? Will there be no one like Garza available this off-season? What a brilliant trade that turned out to be for the Rays! I remember wondering at the time what the heck Smith was doing trading Garza. With him, the Twins probably would have won the Central by now.

What about Derek Lowe on a short-term deal?

As for Matt Holliday, why? His numbers away from Colorado don’t look as good as what Nady’s numbers look in NY and his defense is nothing special, either. He’s certainly not worth the talent needed and the money to extend him. No thanks.

I know you’re not a fan of pursuing Tex, but I am. So if you could wheel and deal, who is your 1B for ‘09? How do you see the OF shaking out?

He’s having a big year, and he’s slotted behind CC in the free agent pool.

That means CC will set the market and Burnett will fall in behind it.

Its just a matter of where he chooses to play. He will have a lot of suitors in the off-season.

There is NO pitching in the game. All of these supposed young hot shots (Hughes, Kennedy, Adenhart in Anaheim, Homer Bailey in Cincinnati, Buchholz, etc) crashed and burned.

Others (Joba, Wainwright, McGovern) missed chunks of time with injuries.

Older pitchers are up against it physically and salary-wise.

GM’s have to find ways to improve their teams.

Meaning, when an arm like AJ’s goes on the market, bidding will be fierce.

Is there a risk? Sure there is. There are NO sure things in baseball.

The Yankees felt they could give 40% of their rotation to rookies. How did that turn out?

They felt their 968 run offense of 2007 could carry the team this year. How did that turn out?

Its about making calculated risks and decisions.

If you have a chance to add an AJ Burnett to the Yankee rotation, especially in its current state, you have to do it.

Right now, the Yankees have ONE starting pitcher (Wang) returning next year and he’s coming off a serious foot injury.

That’s it.

For all the “developing from within”, “commitment to young pitching”, their minor league pitching “guru”, etc, they have ONE guy ready to go next year and he’s coming off an injury.

Tells me, this team better be willing to spend a LOT of money on pitching in the off-season or this year will look like a championship season compared to next year.

If he lives 96 mph I think even the Yankees FO will run outside naked, that guy could not sit hit 90’s in minor league ball it’s hard for me to believe because the MLB ball feels slick and flies out quicker that he’ll live in 96 mph, though I’d pray for it.