Remember how A.J. Burnett's agent, Darek Braunecker, notified the Blue Jays last week that his client was going to opt out of his contract? A funny thing happened afterward: Burnett's name was on a daily list of free-agent filings e-mailed by the Major League Baseball Players Association - and then minutes later, the list was quickly amended, with Burnett's name dropped. Eh?
I asked Braunecker on Monday if I should read anything into the fact that his client apparently had not technically filed for free agency. Was it an olive branch of sorts? A love letter to Paul Beeston and J.P. Ricciardi ... an expression of his clients desire to give the Blue Jays every last second to re-negotiate a contract? An indication that there have been feverish behind the scene talks aimed at getting something done? Go with me on this: it would be a good story. Beeston was actually fined $7,500 when he was working in the commissioner's office after it was revealed that when he was with the Blue Jays he had a "side agreement" with Roger Clemens - heck, let's call it an opt-out clause - that allowed him to walk out of a four-year deal with the Blue Jays after the 1998 season. The Jays were penalized back then for giving teams permission to speak to Clemens' agents in an attempt to work out a trade and a contract extension. That contravened baseball rules that teams aren't allowed to talk about an extension with a player under contract to another team until both clubs have agreed to a trade and filed the names of the players involved with the commissioner's office. Yet now here's Beeston, as interim-for-as-long-as-he-wants-to-be president and CEO of the Blue Jays, being given to the stroke of midnight to come in to save the day by dealing with Burnett's opt-out clause. Vindication!!!!!
No.
"Don't read anything into it," Braunecker said. "We've told the Blue Jays we're opting out. What that means is that A.J.'s contract will actually be terminated. There was a termination date written into the contract ... and that termination date coincides with the free-agent deadline. So, as of Thursday, the contract will be terminated and then he goes into the free-agent pool like everyone else."
Burnett and Braunecker are free to discuss formal contract arrangements and sign with other teams as of Friday, and it's pretty clear that the Blue Jays have essentially told Braunecker to get back to them with what he feels is his last best offer from another team. Indeed, Braunecker describes recent discussions with the Blue Jays as being "maintenance dialogue."
There are options out there if Burnett walks. The problem is, the juicy free-agent ones - CC Sabathia and Derek Lowe - want to pitch on the west coast. They're not coming here. Brad Penny would. Javier Vazquez, who gives you a guaranteed 200 innings of mostly effective pitching with the odd implosion, could be had in a trade. He likes Toronto. There is a school of thought that says that the Blue Jays might have a shot at Ryan Dempster, the native of Gibsons, B.C., who is a free-agent after a 17-6 season with the Chicago Cubs, should the Cubs acquire Jake Peavy from the San Diego Padres. A Canadian with the Blue Jays! Who can fill a reporter's notebook! Sweet! Two things: first, Dempster's smart enough to know his stuff is best suited to the National League. Second, although it's been reported that he's asking for five years and $70 million from the Cubs, he has apparently told the team he is willing to give them a discount in terms of money and years to stay with them in the event they acquire Peavy, and help form what would be a beastly starting rotation. From spending a couple of days with the Cubs and Dempster down the stretch, it's pretty clear Chicago's where his heart is, and my guess both sides would make it work.
At any rate, is it any surprise that it was the Oakland Athletics stoking the hot stove league fires Monday by acquiring Matt Holliday from the Colorado Rockies for a package that CBS Sportline's Scott Miller says is starter Greg Smith, outfielder Carlos Gonzalez and closer Huston Street? Typically bold Billy Beane/David Forst move: get a motivated hitter for 2009 going into his free-agent winter and if the team doesn't contend move him at the trade deadline. Or, if there is a "motivated buyer" this winter after crapping out in the Mark Teixeira Sweepstakes, perhaps trading Holliday before Opening Day. I don't know what the Rockies do with Street, but I bet they can get - for example - Andy Sonnanstine and something else from the Tampa Bay Rays for him. In other words, don't be surprised if both Holliday and Street ultimately end up elsewhere.
