Yankees Sign AJ Burnett to $82.5 Million Deal

The Yankees and pitcher AJ Burnett have reached a preliminary agreement on a five-year, $82.5 million contract, according to ESPN . Over the past few days, the word was that it was down to the Atlanta Braves and the Yankees after both teams guaranteed a fifth year. The Post has a pretty good rundown of how it happened. Essentially it came down to money, and the Yankees offered a bit more. Part of it is that Burnett has a ranch near Baltimore, which is a three-and-a-half-hour car ride away. With Burnett in the mix, the Yankees have a pretty good rotation in the making. Boasting CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, Chien-Ming Wang, and Joba Chamberlain, the Yankees have potentially one of the elite rotations in the league. (link)