Jump To AJ Burnett's Stats
The beginning of the 2012 MLB season hasn't gone so smoothly for A. J. Burnett. The seasoned veteran pitcher got smacked in the face with a baseball during Spring Training batting practice for his new team the Pittsburgh Pirates. The injury will not affect his net worth of $60,300,000 because his former team, the New York Yankees have guaranteed of portion of $33 million remaining on his current contract. Burnett looks to return to action from the injury within the next two months.
The right-handed hurler has toured a number of teams during his 16-year professional career. Burnett started with the New York Mets before spending 1999-2005 as part of the Florida Marlins rotation. When he became a free agent in 2005, he signed a five-year, $55 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays with an opt-out clause available in 2008. In order to sign on with the New York Yankees in 2009, Burnett exercised the out option and signed a five-year, $82.5 million dollar deal. This time Burnett managed to get a no-trade clause in as part of the contract.
His time with the Yankees never developed positively. In 2009, he went 13-9. In 2010, his record was 10-15 and in 2011, Burnett managed an 11-11 season. From the Yankee standpoint, it was time for him to go. The no-trade clause provided Burnett leverage. Ultimately, he blocked a deal that had been put together between the Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels. Finally, he accepted a trade to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for two specific minor leaguers. Burnett also finagled the deal so that the Yankees had to pay $20 million of the $33 million remaining on his contract.
Nowadays, Burnett boasts that he has developed more pitches than his customary two. He now has an arsenal of four pitches including, a fastball, a less steep knuckle-curve, a splitter and a change up.
