The Phillies and A.J. Burnett have each declined their sides of the right-hander’s $15MM option for 2015, The Associated Press reports. This expected move leaves Burnett until Monday to decide whether or not to exercise his $12.75MM player option for next season.
Burnett has considered retirement in recent years, though latest rumors have him leaning towards pitching in 2015 and Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. believes the veteran will return. Burnett posted a 4.59 ERA, 1.98 K/BB rate and 190 strikeouts over 213 2/3 IP last season, a step back from his strong performances with Pittsburgh in 2012-13, though Burnett’s track record would still net him plenty of attention on the free agent market (if perhaps not at a $12.75MM price tag). While he would undoubtedly prefer to pitch for a contender rather than a rebuilding club like the Phillies, Burnett has been vocal about wanting to play for a team close to his Maryland home, so he could decide to just pick up his player option and remain in Philadelphia.
Wait what? He has both a mutual option AND a player option for 2015? And he turned down the $15m but might pick up the $12m? What am I missing?
Exactly what I thought.
Ah, I think I get it. First of all, Cot’s says the player option is $7.5m, not $12.5. And the “mutual” option appears to be more a team option. So basically, if he wanted out he could get out, but if he wanted in he could get in. And the Phillies could save a few million if they didn’t want him because he stunk or was hurt. I guess it makes sense. Lots of hedging …
It’s a 12.75 million dollar option because of starts…
Yeah, this could use a bit of an explanation. It looks like he doesn’t even get a buyout on the mutual option.
Per Cot’s:
2 years/$22.5M (2014-15)
signed by Philadelphia as a free agent 2/16/14
$7.5M signing bonus ($1M on 12/15/14, $2.75M on 1/15/15, $3.75M on 6/30/15)
14:$7.5M, 15:$15M mutual option ($1M buyout) or $7.5M player option
buyout paid if Burnett has fewer than 30 starts in 2014 & one side declines
2015 player option increases to $8.5M with 24 GS in 2014, $10M with 27 GS, $11.75M with 30 GS, $12.75M with 32 GS
annual performance bonuses: $0.5M each for 24, 27 GS. $0.75M for 30 GS
limited no-trade protection (may block trades to 20 clubs, including all clubs except Baltimore, Boston, Cincinnati, Kansas City, NY Mets, NY Yankees, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Washington)
Well, if he declined his end of a 15 million dollar option, why would he exercise his 12.75 million dollar option? Even if he knew Phillies would decline their end, it seems silly.
Because once the Phillies declined it the option disappeared. He probably just declined it too as a procedural move.
Think he ends up in Baltimore
Who does he replace in the rotation and how much money is he willing to take?
Royals?
Perfect to replace Shields for a year while Ventura and Duffy continue to grow, Zimmer gets his feet wet later in the season, and Finnegan gets some more bullpen work before becoming a starting option. Baltimore is closer, but the Royals can offer a far bigger ballpark and the best defense in MLB behind him.
If not, Bartolo Colon would work for a year.
He really wants to be close to Maryland.
Then why did he sign with the Phillies rather then the Orioles last year?
AJ is MLB’s answer to NFL QB Jeff George. Everyone was knocked out with his natural ability. He played with 7 teams (one twice). Said he wanted this, then changed his mind and did something else. Once in a while he had a great year, but most of the time he disappointed and was overpaid.
I have no idea what Burnett will do. What I’ve learned with him over the years is to ignore what he says, and wait to see what he does.
Because Philadelphia is about 50 maybe 60 miles from the Maryland border.
Philly was probably about as close to Maryland as he could get without taking a major pay cut.
More money. Didn’t have to pitch in the AL East. Well within driving distance to Monkton.
Isn’t he the one who has a family member who won’t fly? I think it might be his wife, so he is limited to teams that are within a certain geography of the east coast.
Correct. Philly is only like 2 hours or less from his home, so it’s a fine spot for him.
She had no problem commuting to NYC then the Yankees overpaid him to play there.
Sorry, but I don’t buy the caveats players and their agents toss around that they suddenly compromise when the money is good. This is the same guy that told Pittsburgh that he was thinking he would retire, then dragged his feet on his decision. So the Pirates didn’t make him a QO. He waited till an opportune time with all major FA pitchers off the market and with him having no draft compensation attached, and announced he was going to play again – but the location and contention were his primary concern. Well, he lived in the Baltimore market, they were a contending team, and they offered a very good salary. But he elected to play further away in Philadelphia for a non-contender, and got a year and an option. Now he just did the exact same thing by refusing the option after saying at the end of the season that he was thinking about retiring again.
I have never understood the infatuation with this guy.
No, he didn’t. The option refused was a mutual option (which the team had already declined), he still holds a player option that he can choose to exercise at some point tomorrow.
This seems a relatively uncharitable narrative of Burnett’s recent history. Retirement is a hard decision for any athlete. Andy Pettitte still talks about whether or not he did the right thing and he already came back once. Burnett is a solid pitcher with the “stuff” to be more than solid; granted, in high stress pitching situations he has had his issues, but overall, he is a solid pitcher. So, of course, he has the right to offer himself on the market as he wishes, because supply-and- demand. Also, just for the record, that trip from NY to Baltimore–if that even is where they were living then, as I don’t know that kind of thing–is very easy, so I doubt that is really any different than Philly to MD.
The Phillies a rebuilding club? Sure they need to rebuild but they haven’t takena single step to do so unless this is the first.
Amaro finally admitted that they need to rebuild last month. So this may well be the first step.
You mean other than all the short-term contracts, trading veterans for prospects and increased interest in the international FA market (as evidenced by Amaro going to the Dominican and East Asia personally)?
What veteran has been traded?
john mcdonald
In the last 2 years? Roberto Hernandez. Erik Kratz. John Mayberry Jr. Michael Young. John McDonald (yes). Michael Schwimmer.
If you include 2012, you can toss in Thome, Victorino, Pence, Blanton, Chad Qualls, a declining Worley, Scott Podsednik, Wilson Valdez…
If a soon to be 38 Year old Pitcher coming off of a bad year is declining 15 Million, You know you’re team’s bad
Mutual option – doesn’t matter if he declined or accepted.
I know, But he still declined 15 Million
Not really. The team had already declined its side of the option, so it’s simply procedural to decline it. In fact, it’s possible there’s some obscure rule that if he accepts the mutual option, he’s not allowed to accept the player option.
Or not, but it wouldn’t surprise me.