The Philadelphia Phillies appear to be on the brink of bolstering their starting rotation with free agent right-hander A.J. Burnett. Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reports that the sides have agreed to a one-year deal and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that Burnett will earn a base salary of $16 million in 2014.
The addition of Burnett would fortify a rotation led by left-handers Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels. However, the Phillies recently revealed that Hamels is not expected to be ready for opening day. Kyle Kendrick, Miguel Gonzalez and Roberto Hernandez are among the leading candidates to round out the Phillies’ rotation.
Burnett, 37, considered retirement following two resurgent seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He posted a 3.30 ERA with 209 strikeouts and 67 walks in 191 innings for Pittsburgh in 2013 after posting a 3.51 ERA in 202.1 innings the previous year. He’s not linked to draft pick compensation, which means the Phillies will be able to keep all of their top 2014 picks.
Burnett, an eighth round draft pick of the New York Mets in 1995, has a 3.99 ERA in 15 MLB seasons. He has enjoyed more success in the National League (3.63 ERA) than in the American League (4.39 ERA) over the course of his career.
The Phillies added Marlon Byrd and Hernandez this off-season while re-signing catcher Carlos Ruiz. They finished with a 73-89 record in 2013, naming Ryne Sandberg manager in August after dismissing Charlie Manuel.
Now that Burnett and Bronson Arroyo have agreed to terms with the Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks, respectively, Ervin Santana and Ubaldo Jimenez are clearly the top starting pitching options available.
