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USA Today Images Sean Burnett heads west after 3 1/2 strong seasons with the Nationals. |
Burnett and the Angels came to terms today on a two-year contract with a club option for 2015, a source familiar with the deal confirmed. Total guaranteed money is $8.5 million, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Burnett had been a mainstay in the Nationals' bullpen over the last 3 1/2 seasons, a durable and often dominant lefty who posted a combined 2.81 ERA and nine saves over 245 appearances since his acquisition from the Pirates in July 2009.
The Nationals, though, never seemed all that keen on giving Burnett, 30, any kind of long-term commitment and declared themselves out of the running for him on Monday.
At the time, speculation was that the reliever could command a three-year deal from one of eight teams interested in his services, perhaps matching the $18 million contract Jeremy Affeldt received from the Giants last month.
The deal Burnett eventually agreed to, however, came in much lower. While Affeldt and 37-year-old Randy Choate (Cardinals) got three guaranteed years, Burnett got only two guaranteed years with a club option.
The Nationals still need another left-hander for their bullpen and they appear to have their sights on J.P. Howell. The 29-year-old posted a 3.04 ERA in 55 appearances with the Rays last season, though he totaled only 50 1/3 innings because he rarely faced more than one or two batters.
Good Luck Sean! Thanks for all you did as a Nat! You will be missed!
ReplyDeleteBurnett gets 8 million for 2 years-the Nats could have easily afforded that contract. Affeldt got 18 million over three years. Burnett needs a new agent.
ReplyDeleteMASN @masnsports
ReplyDeleteAdd Jim Riggleman to list of potential Orioles third base coaches - School of Roch: NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Former Na... http://bit.ly/11GDUmS
No surprise here. Rizzo doesn't give multi-year deals to relievers who aren't under team control for that timeframe already. Ask Joel Peralta about that.
ReplyDeleteYes, I will miss "ol kerosine" Thats what Manassas Nats Fan and I called him when he was struggling in 2011. But he came back wonderfully. Good luck Sean
ReplyDeleteI hope Rizzo doesn't let Laroche slip out of town. His comments in the WP today sounded like he was feeling his oats after signing Haren.
As for Haren, he had average stats at best. His fastball is down to 88 mph. His last 10 starts he was 4-5 with a 4 plus era. He is 32 years old and has a LOT of wear n tear on him. He was on the DL for the first time last year etc. I have always said that with a good team behind him, Lannan could win 15 games. Time will tell I guess.
BigCat, don't know about Lannan winning 15 with a good team... doon't see a good team signing him for significant innings.
ReplyDeleteYou'd think for this price we would have been in on Burnett but I have faith in Rizzo.
Watching MLB Network. Old Cholly from Philly is on, just wow.
ReplyDeleteGood luck, Sean. You made the Lastings Milledge trade make sense. Other than for dumping Milledge.
ReplyDelete+1/2St.
I am finding Cholly's comments to be humorous . Denial is not just a river in Egypt.
ReplyDeleteNatsLady said...
ReplyDeleteMASN @masnsports
Add Jim Riggleman to list of potential Orioles third base coaches - School of Roch: NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Former Na... http://bit.ly/11GDUmS
Add me to the list of people who don't give a flying f***.
Swami, yup, Cholly in TOTAL DENIAL (like JRol). I wonder if he knows where Egypt is.
ReplyDelete+ 1/2 Street: When you started following this team, did you ever imagine that they would have a season like the last one, and that so soon? Your "giddy, improbable feeling" after a Nats win became more and more improbable to me as it continued. What a fun summer of baseball! To quote Shirley Povich after Don Larsens's perfect game in the 1956 world Series, "The million-to-one shot came in. Hell froze over. A month of Sundays hit the calendar."
ReplyDeleteCholly sure is assuming a lot of things. Reminds me of the other old pinstripe team in New York. Heard a good quote the other day -- when does your team go from bring a veteran team to just being an old team?
ReplyDeleteI don't get why Burnett signed for so little. Rizzo probably would've matched that deal.
ReplyDeleteBigCat said...I have always said that with a good team behind him, Lannan could win 15 games. Time will tell I guess.
ReplyDeleteI've thought that for a long time, and did some research today. I looked at Lannan's stats for his age 23-26 seasons (left out 27, since he was in Syracuse most of the year), in particular his ERA, games started, innings pitched, hits, runs, earned runs, HRs, BBs, Ks, batters faced, and WHIP. I deliberately left out wins and losses.
Then I pulled up Andy Petitte's stats for HIS age 23-26 seasons.
You know what? You'd have a very tough time picking out which lines are Lannan's and which ones are Petitte's.
I'd love to see Lannan on a decent team with a decent infield. Just not in the NL East.
Ghost. Amanda just tweeted this:
ReplyDeleteAmanda Comak@acomak
RT @mikedigiovanna: One reason Sean Burnett's price came down to 2 yrs, $8m is that he underwent surgery to remove a bone spur after season.
Best of luck to him in his endeavors.
ReplyDeleteHmm Frank Wren is on MLB Network.
ReplyDeleteAs well as Burnett performed during his time in DC, in his last three months -- not the best time for making an impression -- he was not nearly as effective, and mgt. could well have concluded that he had dodged his maximum allowance of bullets.
ReplyDeleteBurnett having settled for two years, the chance for M. Gonzalez to get more than one anywhere is now nil. Maybe he comes back for a year at a reasonable sum, say $1.2MM. I would be satisfied with that.
Burnett's value was his ability to deal w/ RH hitters. At the moment the Nats don't have a LH who could be reasonably expected to pitch a whole seventh or eighth inning, and I don't think M. Gonzalez is that person either. Johnson is whistling in the dark about the ability of his RH relievers to pitch to LH hitters but he's really talking about only Clippard and Storen. To play match-ups the way Johnson would like, the Nats really need at least one more LH relief pitcher.
yes, but we knew about Burnett's surgery. So Rizzo could have factored that in, but he didn't.
ReplyDeleteflynnie-
ReplyDeleteYou know, the 2005 season had us all thinking that maybe it wasn't far off from the beginning, because that first have was pretty heady stuff. However, by the next year the reality sure hit. When the move was first announced in 2004, I thought about how the Diamondbacks won it within 10 years, and hoped for the same. I never wanted to admit during the dark days that the Nats were becoming the Cubs, or the Pirates. This last year has been wonderful, and it just feels good having writers call the team favorites for the World Series. It certainly makes for a better off-season.
+1/2St.
"first half," that is.
ReplyDeleteYes Candide....and Lannan is a homegrown Nat. He was big time clutch for us down the stretch last year also. I will always remember him against Philly, drilling Utley and fatboy back to back in his first ML start, breaking Utleys wrist and then getting tossed after hitting Howard. Good luck to you John......where ever you end up.
ReplyDeleteSo all the beats were re-tweeting this and holy moly, look who is at the top of the list:
ReplyDeleteWorld Series or Bust
I wanted to keep our 1-2-3 relievers intact and Nats could afford this contract. Anyways, not terribly sad to see him leave.
ReplyDeleteGhost Of Steve M. said...
ReplyDeleteI don't get why Burnett signed for so little. Rizzo probably would've matched that deal.
Again, when has Rizzo ever given a multi-year deal to a reliever? He hasn't, except for cases like Burnett previously when he already had the guy under team control and was just buying out his arb years. Joel Peralta is the classic example of a reliever who Rizzo would have gladly signed for one year, but who he let walk after he got two years somewhere else.
Adam LaRoche should take note. Once Rizzo has decided you're worth X years, there is absolutely no way you're getting X+1 from him.
I do wonder if the Nats would have re-signed Burnett if they'd known he could be at the price from the outset--doesn't seem an unmanageable price for the Nats, nor an outrageous one given what he can be expected to produce.
ReplyDeleteI know it's generally unwise to spend too much money, or lock in too many years, on BP guys, but--except for 1B--that's the only really question mark for 2013.
Sorry to see old Ball Cap go. All the best to him in LA/Anaheim/wherever the hell it is.
ReplyDeleteSo what do y'all think about that "window" to get $5 off a Nats Fest ticket if you're a season ticket holder? Tomorrow, already. No clue what the limit is on number of tickets. Got the email today.
Mattheus (2011 and 2012) had better results vs. LHB than RHB, as did Stammen in 2012. So I think Davey might have meant them, too, when he said the relievers could pitch against lefties. per baseball-reference.com
ReplyDeleteWell, not being a STH, I got no window, so there's that. ;-) Anyway, I've yet to decide whether to attend the Fest or the local SABR program, which is currently scheduled for the same date.
ReplyDeleteno interest in fan fest or autographs, so if someone wants my codes you can have them.
ReplyDeleteSo what do y'all think about that "window" to get $5 off a Nats Fest ticket if you're a season ticket holder?
ReplyDeleteAs an STH, I'm totally underwhelmed by NatsFest. If it was free, like the ones at the ballpark were, I'd go. But why pay for stuff that we get for free as STH during the season? Pay them $20 extra so we can stand in an autograph line for some random player? Face painting? A demo of how electronic ticketing works? We're supposed to pay them for that? Opportunity to sit in a crowded room and listen to Davey, Rizzo and the players spout the same stuff we can hear on MLBN or MASN for free? Food courts? If they're giving free food, okay, but I'm sure they're not. Count me as one who's not paying anything for NatsFest, $5 STH discount or not.
As I said earlier, all of those people who have been clamoring for a NatsFest should keep in mind the old saying "Be careful what you wish for. You might just get it."
I feel that the Nats organization is very high on the future of Mattheus. I also think they truly believe that HRod can be an eighth inning guy. So Dukes and Stammen long guys, HRod , Mattheus and Cluppard 8th or thereabouts, Storen(or Clip) closing. Only Dukes is left- handed?. Anyone in the minors or did we trade everyone? I would rather not have M Gonzalez back.
ReplyDeleteWhat to make of the Morse tweet "I cant thank you fans enough" that our fearless leader just retweeted? Is he saying sayonara?
ReplyDeleteI think it's because the twitter verse is having a spontaneous Beast Appreciation day.
ReplyDeleteFeel, not sure about the Fan Fest comment. Most of the other clubs charge $$ to get in. I know the Cubs charge you for a weekend pass. And the $$ for the autographs goes to Charity. I think most of this stuff is for the kiddos, which is fine. They need to hook the kids to grow the fan base for the next 30 years.
ReplyDeleteI remember Rizzo, pale and shaken, trying to explain how he could be such an intolerable boss that his herbivorous manager quit in the middle of a win streak. The Lerners could not have been pleased at his lack of interpersonal skills. Rizzo's head was on the chopping block, and Davey rescued him. As Liz Taylor used to say, there's no deodorant like success. The team has been lucky that such good drafts were the reward for being so bad. But Rizzo is an insecure man saying, "I'm in charge here." Announcing Strasburg's innings limit at season's start, the way Lannan was sent to the minors, announcing that LaRoche will not get more that two years, there's a more intelligent, less hurtful way of doing business. Joe Maddon managed Rizzo in the minors, and said that he had a short fuse and was always getting in fights. That's not the sign of a secure man, and I wonder when the franchise will start paying the price.
ReplyDeleteIt's the #BeastAppreciationDay on twitter. I think the fans are resigned to the fact that Morse might be moved.
ReplyDeleteNats Jack in the Swamp, Quit your troll accusations or go root for the Marlins.
ReplyDeleteWell, he did call you the king. So there's that.
ReplyDeleteFeel, not sure about the Fan Fest comment. Most of the other clubs charge $$ to get in.
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with them charging to get in. But they need to offer more than what they gave STH for free at previous NatsFests at the ballpark. They aren't.
Not even giving away leftover 2012 swag?
ReplyDeleteAt the risk of revealing just how far my baseball history goes back...I hated Sean's hip-hop off-center cap. There are other players who take it even further but I gotta tell you I hated it. He didn't come off as cool...he came off as a punk. Happy landings in lala land, Sean.
ReplyDeleteDon't be too tough on Flynnie- Rizzo can be very inflexible and arrogant. That doesn't mean he isn't great at his job at all, just means he can be a real sob. He has been a little ham- fisted when it comes to interpersonal communications. We all love him right now because he had a nice run of success. Doesn't mean he is any good with the warm and fuzzy stuff.
ReplyDeleteI'll miss Sean. He seemed to always get the big out against the big left-handed batter (like Ryan Howard). He also made some of the better defensive plays I've seen from a pitcher. I am a bit confused about why Rizzo wouldn't sign him for, what seems like, a pretty reasonable contract for only two years. Could it be that there's a deal set up for Morse that includes a lefty reliever in return?
ReplyDeleteAs for FanFest -- I'm going -- it's worth $15 to get a mid-winter fix of baseball and to get a chance to revel in some playoff glory once again. And, I actually enjoy those q&a sessions.
Feel, difference is those events are for STH's only not for everyone. This gives all the fans a chance to meet players and do some of the things that the STH's get to do.
ReplyDeleteBoras says Harper won't play in the WBC.
ReplyDeleteand Boras should say that Stras won't be in the WBS.
ReplyDeleteWe need to give Laroche his 3 years and be done with it.
ReplyDeleteIs that his decision? The Nats made a statement that they would be proud to have their guys play. I can see why they might not want him to, but what team does want to risk an injury? Seems to me that MLB is either in or out. Can't have it both ways. We are in- we need the best team on the field. Or we don 't participate because someone could get hurt. Seems like Bryce would want to play. Whose decision is it really . Bryce? The Nats?
ReplyDeleteBigCat said...
ReplyDeleteWe need to give Laroche his 3 years and be done with it.
December 05, 2012 8:46 PM
________________________________
Not going to happen. He's made that clear. I think Rizzo is fine with his backup plan in Morse. Not a bad Plan B.
Still struggling with knowing we can't keep them both. Sean is gone already- the old gang is breaking up.
ReplyDeleteMicheleS said...
ReplyDeleteFeel, difference is those events are for STH's only not for everyone. This gives all the fans a chance to meet players and do some of the things that the STH's get to do.
The previous winter NatsFests held in January 2009 and 2010 were not STH-only events. STH got in for free, general public had to pay 10 bucks or so to get in. No one had to pay extra for autographs or photos. The program was exactly the same as what they are offering at this year's NatsFest that everyone has to pay to get into. Thanks but no thanks.
Whose decision is it really . Bryce? The Nats?
ReplyDeleteBoras probably advised him against it. Playing in the WBC offers nothing but risk to Harper's career, and zero benefit to him or to the Nats. Expect to hear shortly that Strasburg isn't pitching in the WBC either.
Blanton gets 2 years, $15 million. WOW!!
ReplyDeleteDoes it seem like non- star type players are getting buckets of money?
ReplyDeleteSwami, new TV money = owners/gm's spending like a drunk sailor on leave.
ReplyDeleteFeel Wood is right. The 09 and 10 Fan Fests were free to STH. That is, I recall that there were two tickets to that thing in each season ticket book. (So, for my group that shares two seats, we got four tickets total, free.)
ReplyDeleteThey were the real deal. Players signed autographs, coaches and others had seminars. I saw Pudge Rodriguez for the first time up close at an autograph table.
It worked great and made me feel good as a fan. Having to pay $15 for the same thing this year, across town, is a step backward in the fan relations department, in my opinion.
Michele - must be nice. You know all that new tv money? Like the Nats should be getting? Dagger. @&$))(( Angelo's!!!!
ReplyDeleteswami @ 9:16 p.m.,
ReplyDeleteThey are, particularly if you accept the stats-based argument that each projected WAR should generate about $4 to $5 million in contract terms. Both Mr. Victorino (twice) and Mr. Napoli have had 5 WAR seasons in the past, but not last year and neither is projected to put up 5 WAR equivalent numbers next season. As MicheleS notes, some of the teams are playing with new or projected TV money. I've read the arguments that the new CBA also has something to do with it (driving up the price of FAs vs. draftees), but I don't find that argument persuasive (especially for utility IF or platoon OF types). As I wrote in a previous thread, it does my heart good that the Nats are not in that mode this year (or for the next several, I hope and expect).
P.S. - and that the Yankees are.
ReplyDeleteI was reading that the Yankees just can't possibly make ends meet on a measly 189 mil. Sheesh.
ReplyDeleteswami,
ReplyDeleteEspecially when no one seems willing to sign there. Depending on how reliable the reports are (that grain of salt, again), they've had interest in at least three mid- to low-value FAs who chose to sign elsewhere (although the Yankees may not have made formal offers to all three). I would not be surprised to see next year's Yankees following the path of last year's Phillies.
Sorry to see Lefty go.
ReplyDeleteHe had better stats than Affeldt, and was 3 years younger. And as it turns out, a lot cheaper!
Rizzo has a funny way of spending money. Or maybe he just doesn't value LH relief pitchers.
Doc,
ReplyDeleteIt's not that Mr. Rizzo doesn't value LH relievers, he just doesn't over-value them (or overspend for them).
Eugene,
ReplyDeleteJ.P. Howell better come cheap. His stats don't come close to Burnett's. His WAR is only half of Lefty's for '12 season.
Doc,
ReplyDeleteAgreed; don't sign Mr. Howell if you can't do so at a reasonable price on a one-year deal. Ditto with re-signing Michael Gonzalez. Maybe someone else out there? Let them compete at Spring Training with the couple of other LH relievers already signed. See who has the best and liveliest stuff, strongest arm as of the end of March. Take the best two north, stash one in AAA if possible, release or the trade the others. But don't overspend (or hand out multi-year contracts) to FA relievers.
Rizzo clearly felt he could do better than Burnett. And 2011 was a miserable year for Sean. Last year was better but his injury and the fact that he is a former TJ pitcher?
ReplyDeleteBUT, the Nats have an extremely POOR record developing left handed relievers in their system. They finally dumped the Emperor Severino after years of trying to get him right. Smoker and McGreary still look miserable. Pat McCoy has sprung up and maybe he's a possibility. Danny Rosenbaum is still a starter. He's not a power pitcher so he seems more suited to middle relief if he doesn't start? And then? Mooneyham and Robbie Ray perhaps? Purke and Solis look like starters at this point.
The Nats need an influx of left-handed prospect pitchers into their minor league system and fast.
I have mentioned this before and hate to repeat but pDowdy had a great stat on how successful Stammen, and Mattheus were against left handed batters. I don't understand why people are so concerned our pen has to add another lefty. I am ok with adding another reliever, if Rizzo thinks it's wise but look at this bullpen and tell me you don't feel pretty good.
ReplyDeleteStoren
Clippard
HRod
Mattheus
Stammen
Dukes
I am ok with adding Howell or Gonzalez or even Gorzellanny but I trust that Rizzo will make the right move. I have heard Davey talk about Garcia moving to a starting position but if it was me, he would be back in the pen again this year.
Go Nats
Maybe someone else out there? Let them compete at Spring Training with the couple of other LH relievers already signed.
ReplyDeleteOther than Zach Duke who could legitimately end up starting again ... given the potential for injuries and ineffectiveness? He's got the most experience along with an All Star appearance.
This is where a trade of Michael Morse might come in. But, honestly, I see teams like TB et al having a great deal more interest in players who should be starters, are young and controllable like Tyler Moore and Steve Lombardozzi. Plus Roger Bernadina might be attractive.
Morse is kind of a tweener in that he still doesn't have a position (he's a jack of many but the master of none) unless its DH. Hasn't played an entire season relatively to completely injury free since he came back from shoulder surgery in 2009. But, Seattle sounds strongly interested ... so ...
With Rendon close and Zim scheduled to move they could take the risk now and make Zim the backup first bagger to LaRoche should he sign. If LaRoche goes down with an injury Zim moves and they call Rendon up. If Zim falls to injury they call up Rendon. That would leave Moore, Lombardozzi (since he isn't a utility guy, is considered a starting second bagger), and perhaps Bernadina as assets that can be traded for quality low A prospects to reinvigorate the minors. Then, the Nats sign a utility guy with a left-handed bat and perhaps bring back DeRosa.
In any case trades of players I described typically take longer because Rizzo (and ownership) highly value their major league experience / ready prospects. They won't take less than what they think they are worth.
sjm: I don't doubt that there are RH pitchers (including the two your cite) who have good numbers against LH batters; that gives a team some real flexibility. And there are some LH hitters (e.g., Adam LaRoche) who do quite well against LH pitchers. But there are also some LH sluggers out there who really are helpless (or close to it) against a LH pitcher. And in certain situations -- close game, late innings, RISP -- you need to be able to bring in that LH specialist. Particularly if Mr. Duke has had long-man duties the night before and isn't available. But that LH pitcher needn't be (and shouldn't be) a big investment.
ReplyDeleteperic: If Seattle really is interested in Mr. Morse, who would suggest in return? A pitcher? A prospect? I live in the Pacific NW but I don't follow the Mariners.
Dave/Feel -- The STH ticket books have never had tickets in them for Fan Fests in the winter. I think you're thinking of the Picnic in the Park type events that were held during the season. Those were STH only events; as far as I remember non-STHs couldn't purchase tickets. Once upon a time, they even gave you a free hot dog, chips, and a drink.
ReplyDeleteI expect there will be such an event at the park again this year, if you're into autographs and such. My recollection is that the lines for pictures and autographs were ridiculously long. It was fun for kids to be able to go on the field and in the dugout and bullpen though.
peric: If Seattle really is interested in Mr. Morse, who would suggest in return? A pitcher? A prospect? I live in the Pacific NW but I don't follow the Mariners.
ReplyDeleteThere apparently isn't much offered that interests Rizzo else doubtless something would have already happened. Sure they want Morse. But they likely want him for a bag of balls which Rizzo will never go for.
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ReplyDelete222, in 2010, each season ticket got two free tickets to the NatsFest. I know this because I share all the extra little ticket "perks" that with other partners in my group. I have a document saved that lists that perk as available for that year.
ReplyDeleteOur 2010 game draft happened the day before Nats Fest 2010--which took place on a Sunday. I used two of the free tickets, and one other partner used the other two.
I told my partners at the draft party that anybody else could go to the thing by buying a $10 ticket, but nobody did.
Now, I can't recall whether I tore the Nats Fest ticket out of the back of the ticket book, like for the STH mid-summer event, or whether I got them online using a special code. But I am 100% certain that I received two tickets per seat free.
I don't have a written record of it, but my recollection tells me the same thing happened in 2009. But 2010 I am quite sure of.
Now that I think on it a bit more, we may have gotten those free Nats Fest tickets in the mail ahead of the event (by request).
ReplyDeleteBut there's no question that they were free. They were.
Today's Word of the Day, courtesy of Flynnie:
ReplyDelete"herbivorous"
Dave said...
ReplyDelete222, in 2010, each season ticket got two free tickets to the NatsFest.
You're both right. And you're both wrong, as Dave subsequently realized. The January NatsFests were free to STH, but of course the tickets weren't included in the season ticket packages since those aren't mailed out until bare minutes before Opening Day. But the Picnic in the Park that 222 mentioned is a good example of where STH end up getting for free the same things they now want us to pay for at NatsFest.
At this rate, he should have been re-signed. I wonder if his agent called Rizzo one last time and asked if he wanted to make a two year offer, before he accepted this deal...
ReplyDeleteI actually like the winter NatsFest at the ballpark, kind of like going down there and see the old place. The March one was not a good idea, it clearly was to save money (the ballpark was already cleaned and the players in town for the pre-season game), but it was so close to opening day; who was going to talk a day off from work for the Natsfest, when less than a week later they need a day off for opening day - that was just a bad idea.
ReplyDeleteI'm very said that this year isn't free, considering the additional cost of parking near the convention center or talking the Metro (I was able to park free at Nats Park last winter Nats Fest).
I think I may pass...
Not being a STH but merely a lowly micro-plan holder, I never received free tickets to the Nats Fest. I didn't have an issue when paying for them when I attended, although I also fondly recall the days of free Winter Caravans.
ReplyDeleteHaving frozen my patootie off waiting in line at winter Nats Fests, I welcome the indoor venue. (fwiw, I was not waiting in line for autographs. I was waiting in line to reenter the room where they had the featured speakers. If memory serves, it was emptied between speakers to give everybody a shot at seeing a speaker.) I'm not surprised that the cost went up, given that one would think that the team is paying for use of the Convention Center. btw, I've attended other events there, and the food courts were expensive. They did have some tasty options at the events I attended, though.
Oh, and I pretty much always take the Metro along with the other unwashed masses, so free parking isn't an issue. :-)
ReplyDeleteseems the Nats could have had Ole Karasine if they hadwanted too. his pay didnt go up that mucj.
ReplyDelete