Well after several days of speculation the Yankees and Pirates completed a trade that sent AJ Burnett to the Pirates in exchange for $13 Million in salary relief and two small time prospects. The deal had seems to work for both sides as the Pirates provide $13 million in salary relief and get a starter who can eat 200 innings from the Yankees who have too many starters and need to clear some salary. The Pirates will pay $5 million this year and $8 million next year, leaving the Yankees to pay the remaining $20 million. The Yankees will get Outfielder Exicardo Cayones and Right-hander Diego Moreno, they are both the ultimate blah prospects and neither have a very high ceiling. This now clears up the 5th starter question as it will be a direct competition between Hughes and Garcia with the loser getting the long relief role. It appears that the Yankees will use this money to sign Raul Ibanez as the Left handed half of the DH platoon and resign Eric Chavez.
Burnett may not have endeared himself to Yankees fans the last two years as he had two of the worst statistical seasons for a Yankees starter ever, but the Yankees probably would not have won in 2009 without him especially his amazing game two.
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