Burnitz Signs One-Year $6M Deal

[3-2 Changeup]

Pirates agree to terms with Burnitz
Tuesday, January 03, 2006

By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Pirates today agreed to terms with free-agent outfielder Jeromy Burnitz on a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2007. Financial terms were not immediately available, but the salary for the coming season is believed to be in the range of $6 million.


Burnitz, who will turn 37 April 15, has 299 career home runs and will fill the Pirates' desire for a power-hitting cleanup hitter in right field. He batted .258 last season for the Chicago Cubs with 24 home runs, 31 doubles and 87 RBIs. He led the team with 160 games played and 40 two-out RBIs.


More details in tomorrow's Post-Gazette.

[3-2 Changeup]

Pirates, Burnitz agree to one-year deal
Orioles irked he pulled out of agreement; Wilson uncertain of future
Wednesday, January 04, 2006

By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Pirates yesterday completed their unprecedented shopping spree through Major League Baseball's open market by agreeing to terms on a deal with outfielder Jeromy Burnitz.

If Burnitz passes a physical today at PNC Park, he will be cleared to sign a contract that could become the richest given to a free agent in franchise history. According to two sources close to the negotiations, the first year will pay a $6 million salary and the second will be a mutual option with the same salary if the Pirates and Burnitz choose to exercise it. If the Pirates reject the option within 15 days after the World Series, they must pay Burnitz a $700,000 buyout. If Burnitz rejects it, he becomes a free agent.

Burnitz also can earn up to $250,000 in bonuses each year. He will make $50,000 for 140 games played, $100,000 for 150 games and another $100,000 for 155 games. He appeared in 160 for the Chicago Cubs last season.

If Burnitz maxes out on the bonuses, the contract will be worth $12.5 million, and the least it can pay is $6.7 million. The most lucrative contract the Pirates gave to a free agent was outfielder Derek Bell's infamous two-year deal worth $9.75 million, signed in 2001.

Less than a week ago, Burnitz was on the verge of signing a two-year contract worth $12.5 million -- all but $500,000 guaranteed -- with the Baltimore Orioles. But he stunned management by backing out just before the weekend.

An Orioles team official said yesterday they voiced an informal complaint with MLB about the way Burnitz and his Connecticut-based agent, Howard Simon, negotiated.

"We had an agreement, and they backed out," Orioles vice president of baseball operations Jim Duquette said. "We negotiate in good faith."

Simon acknowledged it was his side that backed out, explaining it was primarily because Baltimore would not alter a contractual requirement for a physical that is more elaborate and takes more time than that of most teams. That, Simon added, prompted him and Burnitz to worry the Orioles would deliberately delay his signing while they continued talks with the Boston Red Sox aimed at acquiring superstar outfielder Manny Ramirez, thus costing Burnitz a chance to capitalize on other offers.

Baltimore officials scoffed at the notion that their procedure for physicals played a role. One said Burnitz told the Orioles his reason for changing his mind was that the Pirates play more games in California, where his family lives. The Pirates play 13 games in California and three in Arizona. The Orioles play nine games in California.

With Baltimore out of the picture, two teams had contract offers on the table for Burnitz, the Pirates and Houston Astros. Neither included the second guaranteed year, but the Pirates outbid Houston and apparently were able to sell Burnitz on their plan for immediate improvement this season.

By the end of the weekend, Simon was negotiating only with Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield. Yesterday, all aspects of the deal -- except the physical -- were completed.

Littlefield does not comment on transactions until they are complete, and that probably will not happen until late in the week because of paperwork that must be filed with MLB. A formal announcement could come Friday.

Burnitz, who turns 37 April 15, has 299 career home runs and fills the Pirates' wish for an experienced, power-hitting cleanup man to play right field. He hit .258 last season for the Cubs, with 24 home runs, 31 doubles and 87 RBIs. He has a .255 career average with 1,302 strikeouts. He has topped 30 home runs six times, 100 RBIs four times.

Burnitz's acquisition and the trade for first baseman Sean Casey appear to bump Craig Wilson out of the Pirates' plans. Wilson, 29, plays first and right field, and he is unlikely to be retained as a bench player with a salary in the range of $4 million, which is what he is expected to receive this month.

"I really don't know what their plan is," Wilson said last night from his home in California. "I'm hoping to be part of it somewhere."

Wilson is coming off a season in which two injuries to his left hand limited him to 59 games. The Pirates have made known their desire to trade him but are believed to have had difficulty generating interest because of his injuries.

If Wilson is not dealt, the Pirates are on pace to finish close to their targeted payroll in the upper $40 million range once all players' contracts are completed. As a result, Burnitz's signing probably will be the team's last through free agency.

The Pirates have committed $13.45 million toward free agents this year, a franchise high. And that figure could increase to $19.25 million if Burnitz's contract peaks.

Also signed were third baseman Joe Randa for one year at $4 million and reliever Roberto Hernandez for one year at $2.75 million.


Notes


Reliever Ryan Vogelsong yesterday signed a one-year contract worth $550,000, reducing the Pirates' number of arbitration-eligible players to three: Wilson and starters Oliver Perez and Kip Wells. Vogelsong could make $125,000 in bonuses as a starter or $75,000 as a reliever. He will receive $25,000 for 10 starts, $30,000 each for 15 starts and 20 starts, and $40,000 for 25 starts. He would receive $25,000 each for 45, 55 and 65 relief appearances. Vogelsong, 28, was 2-2 with a 4.43 earned run average in 44 appearances last season. The Pirates have told him he is in the running for the fifth starting job next season, along with Victor Santos and Ian Snell. "I'm grateful," Vogelsong said. "I'm going into spring training with the idea of being ready and winning that job." ... Burnitz's addition will force the Pirates to remove a player from the 40-man roster.

[Greymire]

I figure this will be a good signing since I was against it. That has been my track record lately. I thought Derek Bell would be ok and he bombed. I thought Daryl Ward was a bad move and he did ok. Same with Jeff Suppan. I thought he was a horrible pitcher with KC and he did well with us. There have been exceptions I guess. I was glad to trade Giles for Bay and Perez (whatever happened the other pitcher we got in that deal?) and I thought unloading Kedall was the way to go and both of those seemed to work out ok. Overall though, I hope it goes against my intuition again with Burnitz. Here is to a career year at 37!!!!

[00_Agent]

I wouldn't be surprised to see Burnitz do well with us, and I think we have enough guys now who make contact and do not strike out much (Bay, Casey, Randa, Wilson) that we can absorb some of his whiffs at the plate.

At the same time, it's a lot of money for a 37 year old who may not be able to hit 30 homers anymore. Maybe with the proverbial short porch in right we'll see a bit of a return to form.

I don't...hate this deal. I don't really like it especially either, but it really could work out for us I think if things break right. We'll see.

P.S. prediction: I think that Craig can hit 40 home runs given the at bats, so hopefully he'll go to an American league team, where he will be loved. The year he hit 29 homers was his first full season, and he hasn't had the chance to improve on that since; he can still improve as he becomes a bit more seasoned. HOPEFULLY we will get a nice prospect for him, which is what we deserve for someone who can hit for power to all fields like Craig can. I'm going to miss him (even though there is a slim chance he will still be with us, I'm not counting on it).

00