5 worst contracts in New York Yankees history
By David Hill
4. A.J. Burnett
The New York Yankees signed A.J. Burnett in the hope that he would lead them to a championship. He did just that in 2009, sort of.
Burnett was not the ace that the Yankees had hoped for in 2009, but his 4.04 ERA was better than league average. While he led the league with 97 walks, he also struck out 195 batters in his 205 innings. His start in the ALDS, where he allowed one run in six innings, was one of the highlights of his season.
His last two years in pinstripes were brutal. Burnett had a combined 5.20 ERA and a 1.472 WHiP in his 377 innings. He allowed an identical 109 earned runs in both seasons, posting a 21-26 record. That five year, $82.5 million deal was a disaster, with the Yankees shipping him to Pittsburgh after just three years.
That change was exactly what Burnett needed. Although he still battled with inconsistency, he went right back to being a top of the rotation caliber arm. After a rough season in Philadelphia, Burnett returned to Pittsburgh for one final season before retiring.
A.J. Burnett was a solid, albeit inconsistent, pitcher. The high pressure environment of the New York Yankees only made it worse.