It’s official – the Blue Jays have now committed more long-term money in the last two weeks ($102M) than they had paid in total payroll the last two years combined ($95.73M). By signing AJ Burnet to a five year $55M contract, they’ve added the top free agent pitcher to a rotation that includes Roy Halladay and Gustavo Chacin. AJ Burnett is now slotted as the Blue Jays’ third pitcher in the rotation, after Halladay and between lefties Chacin and Ted Lilly. Not bad.
This move isn’t entirely without risk, however. The Jays are tying up a lot of money over five years for a guy that has a 49-50 career record and has been on the DL with serious elbow issues a couple of times already. Plus, I still don’t know what the Blue Jays will do for offense but I guess they figure that as long as they have a solid top-to-bottom rotation (best in the AL East and possibly in AL overall) and a semi-reliable closer (the newly-signed BJ Ryan), they can at least try to win games 4-3. I still won’t predict them for the playoffs yet but I’m not far off of predicting them for second place in their division.
The thing I'm most disappointed about is that pitcher CJ Nitkowski signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates yesterday. They could've had AJ, BJ and CJ all on one pitching staff...
As an aside, I am surprised that Burnett picked Toronto over St. Louis. Obviously the security of a fifth year and the added cash tilted the balance in Toronto’s favor but, still, the Cards are pretty much a lock to be in the playoffs in 2006, even without Burnett. Had the Cards replaced Morris with AJ, adding him to a rotation of Carpenter and Mulder, I have to believe that Las Vegas would’ve opened St. Louis as a 4-1 favorite to win the World Series. Throw in toasted ravioli, good fans and a brand new stadium…I know where I would’ve gone anway...
This move isn’t entirely without risk, however. The Jays are tying up a lot of money over five years for a guy that has a 49-50 career record and has been on the DL with serious elbow issues a couple of times already. Plus, I still don’t know what the Blue Jays will do for offense but I guess they figure that as long as they have a solid top-to-bottom rotation (best in the AL East and possibly in AL overall) and a semi-reliable closer (the newly-signed BJ Ryan), they can at least try to win games 4-3. I still won’t predict them for the playoffs yet but I’m not far off of predicting them for second place in their division.
The thing I'm most disappointed about is that pitcher CJ Nitkowski signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates yesterday. They could've had AJ, BJ and CJ all on one pitching staff...
As an aside, I am surprised that Burnett picked Toronto over St. Louis. Obviously the security of a fifth year and the added cash tilted the balance in Toronto’s favor but, still, the Cards are pretty much a lock to be in the playoffs in 2006, even without Burnett. Had the Cards replaced Morris with AJ, adding him to a rotation of Carpenter and Mulder, I have to believe that Las Vegas would’ve opened St. Louis as a 4-1 favorite to win the World Series. Throw in toasted ravioli, good fans and a brand new stadium…I know where I would’ve gone anway...
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