The A.J. Burnett trade rumors are very real, but they’re apparently not leading to a transaction.
According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Yankees asked the Pirates for outfielder Garrett Jones in exchange for Burnett. New York was quickly rebuffed and there is currently “no traction” for a deal.
Jones hasn’t come close to the .938 OPS that he posted in his breakout rookie campaign (back in 2009), but he possesses a decent power bat and is still an inexpensive arbitration-eligible everyday player for Pittsburgh. Burnett, meanwhile, has registered a 5.20 ERA over the past two seasons and is owed $16.5 million in both 2012 and 2013. The Yankees would probably have to eat close to $25-27 million to make the trade worth it for the Pirates.
