TAMPA — Greeting A.J. Burnett on Sunday at George Steinbrenner Field will be awkward because the Yankees have dangled the right-hander on the trade market since early December.
Yet according to people monitoring the Pirates and Yankees trade talks, Burnett will be with Pittsburgh or remain with New York because talks with the Indians have cooled and Burnett will nix a deal to the Angels, who are one of the 10 teams he can veto.
Travis Hafner’s name surfaced in talks with the Indians, and the Yankees spoke briefly with the Angels about Bobby Abreu.
“It’s likely to get done before the weekend,’’ a person with knowledge of the Pirates-Yankees swap said yesterday. “But there are differences that need to be resolved.’’
The amount of money the Pirates want to absorb ($10 million of $33 million) isn’t enough for the Yankees unless they receive a solid prospect. If the Pirates raise the dollars and give the Yankees marginal prospects, that would work. If not, Burnett will remain with a team that has shopped him for more than two months.
As for filling the left-handed deignated hitter spot, it appears whoever takes less money between Raul Ibanez and Johnny Damon will land the gig.
There is a chance the Yankees could sign Ibanez or Damon and still have room for reserve corner infielder Eric Chavez, who has several offers from other clubs but is waiting for the Yankees.
Burnett, 35, is owed $16.5 million this year and $16.5 million next season. It’s clear the Yankees have wanted to move him after three seasons (34-35, 4.79 ERA) because they shopped him before acquiring Michael Pineda from Seattle and signing free agent Hiroki Kuroda.
The Yankees currently have seven starters for five spots and despite Burnett’s pedestrian numbers the past two seasons, there is risk involved in dealing him.
Much more was expected from Burnett for the $82.5 million across five years he received but he has averaged 194 2/3 innings in three Yankee seasons and has appeared in 99 games (98 starts).
All six hurlers behind ace CC Sabathia have question marks. Is Pineda ready for the AL East in his second big league season? Will he develop a much-needed third pitch? Can Ivan Nova match his 16-win rookie year? How much does 35-year-old Freddy Garcia have left? How will Kuroda, 37, adjust to the muscular AL East after pitching for the Dodgers? Can Phil Hughes rebound from a brutal 2011?
As for the Pirates, they believe they can contend in the NL Central, where Prince Fielder, Albert Pujols and Tony La Russa no longer work.
Burnett would be the Pirates’ No. 2 starter behind Kevin Correia and ahead of the oft-injured Erik Bedard.