WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO AJ BURNETT?

AJ Burnett is doing all he can to stay positive. But in a Yankeeland where fans are frustrated and aggravated at him, how can he possibly be positive? AJ is quoted here as if he is ready for the playoffs. This is from an ESPN report about the Yankee rotation preparing for the postseason:

"I feel like I can take the ball right now and my team's got a chance to win... You can’t go out and get caught up in everything else. I’m just going to go out and try to get as many outs as I can, that’s all we can do."

OK, stop right there. We can yell and scream about AJ all we want, but we don’t run the Yankees. If AJ Burnett is in the Yankees plans for the playoffs, we need to let it happen. After all, wouldn’t you want to hear from a guy that WANTS to be in a big situation of the playoffs than a player asking management to take him out?

Look we are the New York Yankees, we don’t like losers, if we did, we would have liked Carl Pavano. The Yankees put the best guys on the field, this is true, but we also want players that want to be there and try and win. AJ tries, he just doesn’t, but look at that quote… he clearly wants to contribute.

True, I don’t like losers, but think like AJ’s thinking right now…he wants to start from scratch, a clean slate. He wants to try and win one for his team and for the fans. If the Yankees want him to start in the playoffs, we need to accept it and cross our fingers. There really isn’t anything else to do or maybe there is:

Bullpen: My feeling is we can’t put AJ in an already terrific bullpen, right? Why would we mess with that and bring in negative energy. That bullpen is a tight knit family and no one is getting in there. They are feeding off each other nicely.

Leave AJ off the ALDS roster: OK, we could leave him off the roster, but to be honest, I don’t see the Yankees doing that.

Look, before I turned on AJ Burnett, I wrote WHY CRUCIFYING BURNETT NEEDS TO STOP because I was tired of ripping a guy that clearly had head games and no focus. Well, enough was enough and I joined the party too. No, I don’t think AJ should be out there representing the Yankees in the playoffs because I worry about his stability, but I’m willing to give the ball to a guy that wants to be there, not just for the glory, but for the guts and I that means something.

And what happens after the season? Assuming we win it all, will the Yankees try and right the Burnett Ship this winter or will they try and unload this unstable dude? AJ is owed a lot of money, and if we ‘re to pick up some of that salary with another team and bring in another pitcher or bat in exchange, could that work?

AJ Burnett is a hot mess, but he’s our hot mess and when a guy saws “give me the ball” even in a fish bowl full of sharks, you have to respect that. He’s not walking away, instead, he’s trying to right a wrong. You have to respect that, you really do.

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THE MARTE & FELICIANO COMEDY HOUR

This amazes and it should you too. Not that I really thought it was possible that Pedro Feliciano or Damaso Marte would return this season, but I had a glimmer of hope, but I just may need to give it up. Read about it HERE.

I recently wrote THE EXTRA LEFTY THE YANKEES NEVER HAD and in it, I described how there were several opportunities out there to gather a lefty and we even had one for a moment in Aaron Laffey and then he disappeared after 1 appearance in pinstripes. Sad, I even remember a feature in which he was interviewed saying how it was a dream come true. Read it HERE.

That being said, I also wrote about how Feliciano and Marte were going to pitch in a Gulf League game on their road back. One problem. Both experienced soreness. Trust me; these characters will not be back this season. It’s the school of Carl Pavano. I’m not saying they’re faking it, I’m saying the signings are ridiculous.

So what’s next? Luckily, we have a few options. Manny Banuelos is in the minors and while young, he’s a definite option. Cashman has stated that he doesn’t want to bring the kid up, but there’s nothing wrong with having an extra lefty in the pen, especially if we are making a run for the playoffs.

There is also that thing called a waivers deadline. Cashman is already doing it, and by doing it, I mean scoping out which lefty pitchers are out there that teams placed on waivers. Believe me, if there is an option, Cashman will do it, but I know he won’t force it. Why? Because he already forced it with Feliciano and Marte and he’s paying for it.

Look, the Yankees are winning, that is a good thing, but we’re stumbling through some days and all I’m saying is, a little extra help can’t hurt, that’s all.

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WHY CRUCIFYING BURNETT NEEDS TO STOP

(Photo: Getty)
I’m sorry, but I’m at the end of my rope with people continually ranting against AJ Burnett. Suggestions that AJ needs to be traded or released because he’s not pulling his weight are ridiculous. Let me give you an important piece of information. AJ Burnett is not a superstar. He’s never been a superstar. He’s a very good pitcher that sometimes gets into trouble and barely ever gets run support. That’s it, end of story. For anyone who thought we were getting CC Sabathia "light" was reading the wrong headlines. Read Baseball Reference. They have all of AJ’s career stats, and while some years look stellar, some don’t and guess what, it’s always been that way, so get used to it.

AJ Burnett was on a pitching staff with the Florida Marlins that consisted of Brad Penny, Josh Beckett and Carl Pavano and when the Yankees played the Marlins in the 2003 World Series, AJ was hurt and didn’t even pitch. When AJ went to the Blue Jays, he was behind Doc Halladay in the rotation and while he had 1 great season winning 18 games in 2008, he had a few seasons that stunk. 2001 he was 11-12 with a 4.05 ERA. He was 10-8 for 2006 and 2007 with an ERA in the high 3's those 2 years. His best record ever? 2008, 18-10. Fact.

This is a pitcher that looks much better if his offense hits and scores for him and if not, whatever mistakes he makes on the mound are amplified ten-fold. This is nothing new about AJ Burnett. No, he’s no scrub, but yes, he has his problems, just like every other pitcher does. Larry Rothschild has really done some magic this season getting AJ right, and while it hasn’t always worked, I think everyone can agree, it’s gotten better. Last year AJ was lost, 10-15 with a 5.26 ERA, his worst season ever; No confidence and no great quality starts the second half. This year he started strong and while he hasn’t exactly continued strong, he’s in a much better situation than last year.

I don’t dislike AJ Burnett, in fact, I dig his stuff, but tweaks are continual with AJ Burnett and Larry Rothschild knows this. So, he’ll need to make them, and fast. Even in WHY CASHMAN BELIEVES IN HIS YANKEES, I even chose AJ Burnett as the 3^rd starter if we were to start the playoffs tomorrow. Who did I pick as our number 2? Bartolo Colon. I know, it sounds crazy but if you need consistency, you need to do that. Put it in perspective; If CC Sabathia were to win a Game 1 and Colon pitched like he’s been pitching all year and won Game 2, at least if AJ didn’t get run support, we’d only be down 2-1 instead of 1-1 and Freddy Garcia could use his veteran experience to take us to the next round. That’s not a slight against AJ Burnett, that’s the reality.

The Yankee brass sold us all a bill of goods in 2009 propping AJ Burnett up on a pedestal when he came over to the Yanks. CC, AJ and Teixeira came over and it’s was their brilliant P.R. machine at work, hinting about the Yankees new “aces” and a “1,2 punch” and yes, for 2009, it worked in their favor. But, honestly, anyone who knew AJ’s career numbers and injury record knew this was bogus. If you believed it, you were dreaming. Again, AJ Burnett is no superstar pitcher, he’s a talented pitcher that is constantly a work in progress and I’m fine with that because I never saw him as anything over than that.

(Photo: Getty)

So understand it and accept it and tell me, what other pitcher out there is better than AJ Burnett? Ubaldo Jimenez? I doubt it. I put him at the same level as AJ. 15-12 with a 3.47 ERA in 2009 and 19-8 with a 2.88 ERA in 2010. I’m sorry, 1 great and 1 good year does not a superstar pitcher make. Jimenez was 6-9 with the Rockies this year before going to the Indians. And what about Bedard? Erik Bedard was available. The Red Sox snatched him up. Well, they can have him. This is a guy that is always injured and to me, he’s over, lefty or not. There is no other starter that was available that I’d want on the mound in place of AJ Burnett.

So tonight AJ, you need to do your magic. Pitch, pitch, pitch and the offense, God willing, will get you the run support you need and hopefully that continues for you throughout the entire rest of the season. I’m pulling for you buddy, don’t make me look like a fool.

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