Brian Cashman, at least verbally, put any trade rumors regarding A.J. Burnett to bed on Tuesday while speaking at Sacred Heart University. Cashman and former Red Sox general manager/current Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein answered audience questions, including one directed at Cashman regarding the status of Burnett, who will have to compete for his rotation spot this spring.
“I am comfortable with A.J.,” Cashman said. “He’s extremely talented and has been inconsistent, but I can tell you I’m comfortable with the effort he’s giving; I’m comfortable with everything that he does, the accountability that comes with him.
“Obviously, we signed him to have more success than he’s having, but it’s a competitive industry and as long as he’s not going to give up on himself, then I’m going to have his back the entire way.”
After a strong first season in the Bronx during which he went 13-9 with a 4.04 ERA – his two best games were the 7 1/3 scoreless, one-hit innings he pitched Aug. 7 against the Red Sox and a huge Game 2 World Series victory -- Burnett is 21-26 over the last two seasons with an ERA above 5.00.
The last time Burnett was on the mound was Game 4 of the ALDS, when he allowed a run on four hits in 5 2/3 innings to defeat the Tigers and stave off elimination. From the fans’ point of view, the season was cooked because Burnett simply had no chance. Instead he earned a bit of equity, though apparently not enough. Determined to upgrade his starting rotation, Cashman acquired Michael Pineda and signed Hiroki Kuroda during a wild Friday the 13th last month. That’s left Burnett, Phil Hughes and Freddy Garcia to compete for the fifth starter’s role.
“This year, we have a whole bunch of starting pitchers – knock on wood – and so we’ll see how it all shakes out, who plays in what role and where,” Cashman said. “But if we have the ball in [Burnett's] hands, I believe that he’ll do well for us. He won one of our playoff games against Detroit and we only won two, we were trying to win three. He stepped up big in Game 4 and pushed us back to New York to give us Game 5. It’s in there and the ability is there, and he does care, so I’m going to stay with him.”
Yankees pitchers and catchers report to George M. Steinbrenner field in 18 days. Barring injury, the Battle for Five will not be decided until Spring Training’s final week, but who do you see emerging as the fifth starter – and what will become of the two arms that don’t make the cut? Hughes and Garcia are better equipped for a relief role than Burnett, but Cashman still views Hughes as a starter.
This will be the most compelling storyline out of Yankees camp and I’m curious to hear how you believe it will shake out.
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