Three days, two new starters. Well, technically CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett aren’t Yankees yet because they haven’t passed their physicals, but there’s no reason to suspect they won’t. $243.5M is all it took … well, that assumes Sabathia sticks around for more than three years, far from a given.
AJ Burnett’s a controversial figure here at RAB. I’ve made it well known that I prefer Derek Lowe, but it doesn’t matter. Burnett’s going to be a Yankee, so root for him to do well and support him like you do anyone that wears the pinstripes. He and Sabathia add two pitchers to the staff that miss bats regularly, and in fact CC and AJ are two of the most unhittable pitchers in baseball: last year batters made contact on just 72.0% of the swings they took against CC (best amongst starters in the bigs), while just 76.2% made contact against Burnett (sixth best). When’s the last time the Yanks had two arms like that?
And for those of you that have already declared that Burnett is the second coming of Carl Pavano, that’s patently wrong. I’ll let KLaw explain:
Matt (Yardley, PA): I’m with Bryan. Burnett to me is Pavano ver2.0.
Keith Law: Not even close. Pavano in the NL in his only two healthy years, right before signing with the Yanks: 423 IP, 272 K’s, 35 HR allowed. That’s in a big ballpark, facing opposing pitchers to boost his K total. Burnett, in the AL East, in a slight hitters’ park, last two years: 387 IP, 407 Ks, 42 HR. You can’t make a performance argument that he’s like Pavano. You can’t make a health argument that he’s like Pavano (who was hurt in some part of every year until his sixth season). You definitely can’t make a stuff argument that he’s like Pavano. That’s a completely unfair tag to place on Burnett.
So there you go, better than I ever could have put it in so few sentences. Like I said, whether you like the signing or not, root for the guy until your hands are so sore you can’t clap and your voice is so horse you can’t scream, then do it anyway. He’s a Yankee, love him like one.
One small roster note for the night: Chris Britton and Justin Christian were non-tendered, making them free agents. I hope they bring J-Chrizzle back on a minor league deal. The moves make room on the 40 man for CC & AJ. The Depth Chart is up-to-date.
Here’s your open thread of the evening. There’s lots to talk about tonight including the two new arms and Rangers-Devils. You know the deal, talk about whatever, just be nice.
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