A.J. Burnett News

On February 20, 2012, New York Yankees fans rejoiced as A.J. Burnett was no longer on the team and they only had to eat $18 million of the $31 million remaining on his contract.

With the Jays fresh of a sweep of the Giants I felt compelled to look at the actions of both teams front offices and see what it is that separates a perennial also-ran from a team that has won the World Series two of the last three years.

Norichika Aoki went 3-for-5 with three RBI and Marco Estrada spun seven innings of one run ball as the Brewers snapped a four-game skid with a 5-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Felix Hernandez will look to continue his mastery of the Yankees in the Bronx when the Mariners open a three-game series against New York on Tuesday night.

Big night: Milwaukee's Norichika Aoki knocks the ball out of the glove of Pittsburgh catcher Michael McKenry to score in the fifth inning on Monday night.

Our precious loss. These words are etched onto a bench that sits in a pebbled plaza in North Hardin Memorial Gardens in Radcliff, Ky.

Hernandez has made seven starts as a visitor against the Yankees, and he is 5-2 with a 2.06 ERA, including two complete games.

A.J. Burnett - 16-10 with a 3.51 ERA last year with Pittsburgh - is 3-3 with a 2.57 ERA and 62 strikeouts this season, when the Yankees are paying $8.5 million of his $16 million salary.

Anibal Sanchez has a 1.97 ERA in 45 2/3 innings but is 3-3 because he lacks intestinal fortitude.

So an implosion of cosmic proportions seemed inevitable. Something had to give. It turned out to be A.J. Burnett.

Pittsburgh's pitching staff silenced the Mariners' bats on Tuesday, but left-fielder Jason Bay hopes to change that as the Mariners look to split the brief two-game set on Wednesday.

B.J. Upton has struck out in almost one-third of his plate appearances in his first season for the Braves.

Chamberlain are just a few free agents that the New York Yankees will have to internally discuss this offseason, but another FA that anybody fails to give recognition to is manager Joe has been the Yankees manager since 2008.

Much has previously been made this season about A.J. Burnett and the possibility of his impending retirement at the the end of the 2013 season.

The Blue Jays are playing like a bunch of hungover squirrels. They have taken it upon themselves to say, "We're done.

There has been a lot to celebrate lately for Pittsburgh Pirates closer Jason Grilli, here slapping five with catcher Russell Martin.

Texas' Adrian Beltre had a three-run double among his four hits as the Rangers beat the Boston Red Sox 7-0 on Friday in a clash of American League divisional leaders.

Ray Guilfoyle highlights some of the top fantasy performers from Friday night's MLB action, including Aroldis Chapman blowing up, A.J. Burnett dominating and another injury for Hanley Ramirez.

A.J. Burnett has 57 strikeouts, just one punchout behind Yu Darvish for the Major League Baseball lead.

The big righty starts tonight in Houston for Detroit, where he'll look to increase his Major League-high total of eight hit batters.