After inking CC Sabathia to a ginormous contract (analysis), the Yankees went out and signed AJ Burnett to a 5 year, 82.5 million dollar deal to be the third (presumably) starter. 

Let that sink in: 16.5 mil a year to be the third starter.  People bashed the Yankees left and right for doing that much money to Sabathia, but at least he’s been consistently awesome.  Burnett’s only consistency is his likelihood to not give a darn.

I’m a Yankee fan, and I hate this deal.  The money, psh, the Yankees have infinite money.  That’s not it.  No, it’s that they bought into the Burnett hype.

The conversation in the front office probably went something like this: ‘He was great last year!  Bah gawd, he’ll be great for the next five years!  We shouldn’t even LOOK at his career numbers or anything intelligent like that, nope!’

Burnett is not Carl Pavano, and anyone who says that is a fool.  He’s not.  Burnett has dynamite stuff and pretty good control.  He can dominate.  Thing is, if his arm is even the slightest bit off, he won’t pitch.  Dude won’t pitch in pain.

Sorry, Brian, I hate to be a pain, but you do realize that you already have a staff full of injury-history riddled pitchers, right? Phil Hughes missed time the past two years, Joba Chamberlain was hurt in 2008, Chien-Ming Wang has a fairly lengthy injury history, and Ian Kennedy missed time last year too.

The only reliable starter you have, Cashman, is Sabathia.  So to deal with that, you sign AJ Burnett?  The guy that won’t tough it out?  The guy that’s had his desire questioned?  He wanted his money, and you gave it to him. I hope it works out for you, but I don’t like this deal.  Not one bit.  If he manages to give 170 innings at a quality level, which is at best probable, I’ll be pleased, but I don’t think Burnett cares enough to do that.

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