I don't have an insider membership, so I can't access. Is it just the same old rumor we've been talking about on this board for weeks now, or is this something new?

 

I've seen a lot of Enc and JP rumors to the Yanks, but I haven't really seen anything about AJ other than the Sheffield stuff...which IMO is laughable (from both ends).

 

It's hard to imagine the Yanks giving up anything substantial for a player they'll most likely buy on the FA market in November.

East Coast stomp?

The Yankees are eyeing A.J. Burnett and had scout Jeff Wetherby watch him pitch against the Mets at Shea Stadium on Friday night, the New York Daily News reported. According to The Palm Beach Post, the Marlins and Yankees recently talked about a deal that would send Burnett ? a free agent at season's end ? and OF Juan Encarnacion to New York for RF Gary Sheffield, who played for the Marlins from 1993-98.

 

Baltimore also is still in mix for Burnett, and if they made a strong push, the hard-throwing right-hander would be receptive to signing a long-term contract with the Orioles, The Washington Post reports. Burnett's wife is from the Baltimore area.

 

The Red Sox reportedly have inquired about Burnett as well. "We certainly would discuss the Orioles or other clubs that lie in that geographical region," Burnett's agent, Darek Braunecker, told The Post.

Thanks. Nothing new I guess. The more we win, it makes it more unlikely we'll trade him anyway.

We should do a 3-way trade and Marlins end up with Javier Vasquez

Burnett and ENC < Sheffield

 

As good as AJ is there is a good possibility he walks at seasons end. If we have the chance to get a player of Sheff's ability Id do it. Imagine being an opposing pitcher and going through the heart of the order, Cabs, Delgado, Sheff.

We should do a 3-way trade and Marlins end up with Javier Vasquez

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That would be fantastic - hell, even a Burnett + PTBNL for Vasquez + cash would be great.

Burnett and ENC < Sheffield

On what basis?

I just get the feeling AJ is gonna leave after this season...need to know where his mind is at, if he says Yeah, I want out, get something of value for him now...If he wants to talk contract deal to stay, that's fine, too..I just dont wanna see him bolt and we have nothing in return to replace with

I'm fairly content with keeping him until the end of the season, and then getting a 1st round pick for him when he bolts via FA. In all of these trade scenarios, I'm not real convinced that we'd get anything better (value-wise) than a 1st round pick anyways.

I just get the feeling AJ is gonna leave after this season...need to know where his mind is at, if he says Yeah, I want out, get something of value for him now...If he wants to talk contract deal to stay, that's fine, too..I just dont wanna see him bolt and we have nothing in return to replace with

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Exactly. It's time for him to put up or shut up on whether or not he wants to stay. In my mind, he either signs an extension by July 31st, or he's gone.... hopefully to Baltimore for Daniel Cabrera and Hayden Penn.

I'm fairly content with keeping him until the end of the season, and then getting a 1st round pick for him when he bolts via FA. In all of these trade scenarios, I'm not real convinced that we'd get anything better (value-wise) than a 1st round pick anyways.

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Think of the Devil Rays in 1999... they had the top pick in the draft and could've taken Josh Beckett... and, well, you know what's happened after that; they didn't know what they were getting.... and also worth mentioning is that not all picks, specifically early picks, sign... if I remember right we had to do a lot to get Taylor Tankersley signed. Plus, the ones that are close to being major-league ready go in the early picks of the first round... A.J. leaving as an FA would give us a 40th pick or so. At least real, proven major leaguers have much better chances of helping the major league club, and getting them represents more of a win-now attitude than "eh, give him a few years, he'll develop".

AJ leaving I believe would give us both the first round pick of whoever signs him (assuming they aren't Top 15, which something tells me they won't) and a sandwich pick. Considering there are 30 teams in the MLB, the pick would come in the Top 30. Again, that doesn't happen if the Royals snatch him up or something.

AJ leaving I believe would give us both the first round pick of whoever signs him (assuming they aren't Top 15, which something tells me they won't) and a sandwich pick. Considering there are 30 teams in the MLB, the pick would come in the Top 30. Again, that doesn't happen if the Royals snatch him up or something.

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I think you're right....and I don't see anything wrong with a first round pick and a sandwich pick as opposed to getting Cabrera or Penn from the Orioles. I know many on this board might differ with me, but I think the FO has used their first round picks pretty well. I know Beckett was under a different regime, but other than Allison (and you can't really blame the FO on that one - plus he could still come around), our top picks seem to be on track to produce for us in the future (or have been shipped away as key parts of crucial trades).

 

Plus, it looks like our last draft with Tank and Vargas seems to be paying off. Another solid draft next year (with 3 of the top 30some picks) - when added to this years pitching bonanza - will really set our farm system up for years to come.

 

When you consider that we might actually NEED AJ this year during a playoff push, I don't really see a huge downside to waiting the season out with AJ in the rotation and then getting a few top picks, rather than closing up shop for the likes of Cabrera and Penn.