A.J. Burnett Declines Option With Phillies; Now Officially A Free Agent

We were teased earlier, as the Phillies transaction page briefly stated that starting pitcher A.J. Burnett had opted for free agency.   Then the website was updated and that news was gone.  This is for real this time:  A.J. Burnett has declined his $12.75 player option.

Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News reports:

Burnett declines option; he's a free agent.

— Ryan Lawrence (@ryanlawrence21) November 4, 2014

Will Burnett pitch for somebody in 2015? That remains to be seen.

For Burnett, he may believe that he has one more good season left and simply does not want to spend it with the rebuilding Phillies.   When Burnett decided to sign with the Phillies initially, the Phillies were still thought of as somewhat-contenders.  Things have changed dramatically.

Whether Burnett pitches for the Phillies or not, the Phillies will still be paying him handsomely.  Burnett's deal included almost $8 million deferred to be paid out over 2015.  So, if Burnett sits home, he will still get a nice paycheck.

As for the Phillies, they lucked out, too.  Burnett's deal will give them $12.75 million more to work with in 2015 as they look to rebuild.   The Phillies have not announced whether or not Kyle Kendrick will receive a qualifying offer; maybe this changes their plans with Kendrick.   Kendrick is a good bet for 200 innings, something that will keep the young bullpen stable while they rebuild.

UPDATE:  Yep – he does not want to rebuild:

burnett made the decision to turn down phillies because he wants to player a contending club, i hear

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) November 4, 2014