Adios Burnett, Enjoy the Pinstripes

ESPN is reporting that coveted free-agent starter A.J. Burnett has agreed to a contract with... the New York Yankees! Worth over $82M over 5 years, Burnett had been aggressively pursued by the Braves ever since the negotiations to bring in Jake Peavy broke down. Burnett will join CC Sabathia in the new-look Yankees rotation, alongside Chien-Mein Wang, Joba Chamberlain and some combination of Philip Hughes and Ian Kennedy. Word has it that Andy Pettitte is likely to return for one more year, however.

So what's next for the Braves? Derek Lowe certainly looks attractive. A proven ace and postseason performer, Lowe has had great success pitching for the Red Sox and Dodgers. He throws a lot like Tim Hudson, dishing out a lot of sinkers and keeping the ball on the ground. While Turner Field is a pitcher's park, it would be nice to have multiple starters who aren't likely to give up the big fly all too often (we'll let Javy Vazquez take care of that). Ben Sheets is another big name who's available.. but let's just say I'd rather sign Kerry Wood than take a chance on Ben Sheets. Unless its a two-year deal. I remain adamant that we should re-open negotiations with San Diego to trade for Jake Peavy. Now that there's no other trade partners left (barring a push by the Angels), GM Kevin Towers may have no choice but to come crawling back to Frank Wren's doorstep, hat in hand, and willing to accept whatever gruel is tossed at his feet. Yunel Escobar is staying put. Tyler Flowers is already gone. Let's hope we still have the pieces (Morton, Reyes, Hernandez, etc.) to start things up again, because I think so far this offseason no one has taken us seriously.

We offered Burnett essentially the same contract as the Yankees. So it came down to a matter of preference, a matter of where he would rather play, and a matter of which team wanted him more. With Sabathia now on the roster, Burnett would slide right into the role that got him here: as the #2. And despite playing in New York, the pressure won't be quite as intense as he creeps around in the shadow of CC. He's pitched in the AL East for the past three years, and the Yankees are probably in a better position to win a championship sooner than Atlanta (who both play in incredibly difficult divisions). Whatever the ultimate reason, the Braves have not proven to the rest of the league that this is still an attractive place to play. This is somewhere you know you'll have a great manager, a great front office, a great city, and an opportunity to re-ignite the franchise that dominated the National League for fifteen years.

But all in all, I'm not upset we didn't sign Burnett. Throwing that kind of money at him is chump change for the Steinbrenner's, but for the Braves.. it smelled of desperation. Right now our front office appears unable to accept that fact that we are a year or two away from being contenders again. That right now, its the Mets and the Phillies. They have the same needs as us (and the Yankees), they have more money, more talent, and a better chance to win. So I ask you Frank Wren, Bobby Cox and the rest of the staff... let it all play out. Let the young players you regard so highly prove to the fans that they are worth the wait. Let Tommy Hanson start the season in the rotation, let Jordan Schafer patrol center field in April. The sooner we accept that 2009 is a lost cause, and is just a bridge to 2010 when these prospects will no doubt be ready (and Hudson will be healthy), then why not give the young'ns a chance to play. We certainly couldn't do any worse.