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A member of the Toronto Blue Jays declared free agency yesterday — but it wasn't pitcher A.J. Burnett.

Catcher Gregg Zaun, whose status dropped to that of backup during the 2008 season, declared his intention to test the free-agent market.

The status of Burnett, who is expected to declare himself a free agent and opt out of the remaining two years of his contract with the Blue Jays, remains uncertain.

Baseball's general manager meetings started yesterday in Dana Point, Calif., where it is anticipated Burnett's agent, Darek Braunecker, will meet face-to-face with Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi to inform him of his client's decision.

"We don't have anything planned as of yet," Braunecker said yesterday after arriving on the West Coast. "But we'll get there.

"We've got a handful of guys we're going to talk to clubs about. So we'll talk to those guys at whatever point, but we don't have anything scheduled as of right now."

The meetings run through Thursday.

Among the other teams believed to be ready to make a run at Burnett's services should he declare himself a free agent include the usual big-money suspects — the New York Yankees, New York Mets and Boston Red Sox. The Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles are also said to be interested.

Burnett is considered one of the top-flight starting pitchers in this year's crop of eligible free agents.

Burnett stayed healthy and enjoyed a career year in games won at 18-10. He had a 4.07 earned-run average and led the American League with 231 strikeouts. Burnett's 34 starts and 2211/3 innings were also career highs.

Burnett signed a five-year, $55-million (U.S.) contract with the Blue Jays in 2005. He has an opt-out clause for the remaining two years of the deal and should he do so, would leave $24-million on the table. But it is expected he would be able to command much more on the free-agent market.

The Blue Jays have held discussions with Braunecker and Burnett since the end of the season, including a face-to-face meeting with Jays interim chief executive officer Paul Beeston.

Asked yesterday if he came away from that meeting with the sense Toronto still had a chance at keeping Burnett, Beeston said: "Of course."

Both sides have indicated the discussions they've held have not been substantive.

A Blue Jays source said yesterday the team has a good chance to retain Burnett.

"Right now, I'd say it's a 50-50 proposition that A.J. stays in Toronto," the source said. "The minute he declares his intention to opt out, I think it goes to about one in five that he's not going to remain here."

The Blue Jays claimed two players off waivers yesterday — shortstop Angel Sanchez and right-handed pitcher Kelvin Jimenez.

Jimenez, 28, split the 2008 season between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Memphis Redbirds of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, where he had a 1-6 record with a 2.92 ERA in 46 relief appearances. In 15 relief appearances with the Cardinals, he was 0-0 with a 5.63 ERA.

Sanchez, 25, last appeared for the Kansas City Royals in 2006, when he had a .222 batting average with one run batted in in eight games.