Birth of a Bidding War

From Kat O’Brien (Newsday):

The Yankees still are preparing a formal offer for righthanded pitcher A.J. Burnett, a club official said yesterday, but the Red Sox have become serious competitors to land him.

The Red Sox’s pursuit of Burnett complicates the Yankees’ plans. A source close to Burnett said that a half-dozen teams are in contention for his services: the Yankees, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Braves, Phillies and Orioles. The Red Sox, the source said, have significantly increased their involvement in the pitcher in the past 36 hours and are now “fully engaged.”

The Blue Jays already have offered a four-year, $54-million deal to retain Burnett, according to the Toronto Star. The Yankees’ offer is expected to top the Blue Jays’ in average annual value. However, a source shot down a report that the Yankees would offer five years and $80 million. They will not make an opening bid of more than four years or anywhere near $80 million, the source said.

The Yankees’ source said, “We’re just talking parameters.”

Well, it was only a matter of time before the Sox dove headfirst into the Burnett talks. He’s a perfect fit for them as they need to fill out their pitching staff. Can you imagine a rotation of Beckett, Dice-K, Lester and Burnett (with Wakefield as their #5)? Is Burnett going to be a number 3 starter or a number 4 starter? That thought alone shows you the amount of talent that they have, along with depth. While O’Brien batted down the $80 million offer proposed by George King this morning, one thing is certain, the Yankees are going to have to bid a lot and bid aggressively just to keep the Sox and Burnett away from each other. Maybe the Braves will come through and get him out of the AL. That would be rich.