GM Ricciardi goes on tirade about starter AJ Burnett

[mweir145]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/articl ... 21221_5188

Blue Jays' general manager J.P. Ricciardi had harsh words for often-injured starter A.J. Burnett on a Toronto radio station, saying that Burnett may now be considered a third or fourth starter, and if he had to do it all over again, he probably would not have signed Burnett to a five-year $55 million deal in December, 2005.

Yikes...JP just can't keep his mouth shut sometimes can he? Will the soap opera on this team ever end?

I did pretty much know this was what JP felt (it's even probably the way I feel about AJ)...but saying it like that on a local radio show, well that just puts us on a whole different level, and it's not something he should have done.

Burnett is still definitely the 2nd best pitcher the Jays have, no matter how good Marcum's ERA is, or how McGowan is going right now. So saying this...well that's pretty disrespectful of Burnett, especially while he's on the DL. I mean come on JP...you knew (or should have known) what you were getting into by signing a pitcher with a history of injuries and attitude problems.

It almost seems like JP is basically daring him to opt out of his contract at the end of '08. Maybe that's what he intended by going on this tirade, but either way, it's not good for the team. I've gotten the impression that for the most part, AJ's teammates like him.

Hopefully this will make AJ come out with some kind of fire, and finish off the season well, in the event that he's not traded.

[acsguitar]

Weird I thought Canada was the Land of Zero Injury where the magical injury free fairy blesses all its residents with magic healing dust to keep "Often Injured through their whole career in Florida" players from becoming "often injured throughout their entire career in Canada" players. I thought this was common knowledge and so must have JP or else he wouldn't have signed an injury risk player like Burnett.

Bizzare

[Field]

He knew what he was getting before he signed him. And, if he didn't think injuries were going to hit then, like acs said, he's living in a land of magic, fairies, and purple grass.

I don't follow the Jays all that closely, but this seems most likely:

It almost seems like JP is basically daring him to opt out of his contract at the end of '08. Maybe that's what he intended by going on this tirade, but either way, it's not good for the team. I've gotten the impression that for the most part, AJ's teammates like him.

Would another team give AJ 3 years 33 mil if he opts out?

I could possibly see it.

[sportsguy138]

Drama really can't stop with this team, can it? I don't know Burnett's history, but he seems like a guy (like on the mound) gets agree easily. I wouldn't be surprised if he would want out of Toronto and if he does ask public ally for that, then his value would go down.

[mweir145]

Would another team give AJ 3 years 33 mil if he opts out?

I could possibly see it.

I could easily see it as well, with pitchers' contracts the way they are right now.

That might be what all of this is...just an attempt by JP to get AJ to opt out after '08. Because I really don't see how you can trade a guy when his value is at an all time low right now.

[jake_harv88]

Would another team give AJ 3 years 33 mil if he opts out?

I could possibly see it.

I could easily see it as well, with pitchers' contracts the way they are right now.

That might be what all of this is...just an attempt by JP to get AJ to opt out after '08. Because I really don't see how you can trade a guy when his value is at an all time low right now.

yeah any kind of "decent" starter makes about 8-10 million these days. Its a little ridiculous but those are the facts. There is definately a team out there willing to risk 11 million a year on the upside of AJ burnett

[Yoda]

This is the same Ricciardi that lied about BJ Ryan's elbow injury for months correct?

[EWSPECIALTY]

I wouldn't mind if the Astros were to sign him. Houston will take him in a second. And since we have the roger clemens savings fund to spend now and we are desperate for pitching it could happen by a very slim chance. We would be lucky just to get anyone close to his ability. I mean really our number three starter is Woody Williams.

[SmartassBoiler]

This is the same Ricciardi that lied about BJ Ryan's elbow injury for months correct?

Yeah. Maybe Riccardi should sit down with his manager and figure out why:

A) They ran Burnett into the ground with high pitch counts
B) They rushed him back from an arm injury when the season wasn't going anywhere.

Perhaps then he can run his mouth. He's far more to blame than Burnett for this situation. The way the current Blue Jays staff manages their pitchers is a joke.

[mweir145]

This is the same Ricciardi that lied about BJ Ryan's elbow injury for months correct?

Yes...but it was for a few weeks. That whole situation was blown out of proportion IMO, from a guy who follows this team. I definitely don't hold it agaisnt him. They figured it wasn't serious at first, and they called it a back injury in ST out of respect for BJ and his agent.

I personally don't see how witholding or lying about injuries (which is fairly common in all pro sports) is as bad as calling out players on radio shows. This is just something, no matter how true it may be, you just can't do if you're a GM of a major league team.