WHY TRADING BURNETT FOR BAY MAKES SENSE

(Photo: Getty)

The New York Daily News Stan Chrapowicki had a great piece about the Yankees struggling AJ Burnett and the Mets struggling Jason Bay and asked the very interesting question, would you swap the two? Read about it HERE.

He writes: "It's obvious he's no longer the Bombers' No. 2 starter, and he wouldn't be one in Flushing either, but he wouldn't have to fill that spot in the rotation. Until Johan Santana returns, he could pitch pressure free as the Mets' No. 5 behind Mike Pelfrey, Jonathon Niese, Dillon Gee and R.A. Dickey."

Stop right there. This is totally true and while I love Chrapowicki thinking out of the box, to me, AJ Burnett being moved down in the rotation on the Yankees would make just as much sense as perhaps trading him to the Mets for Jason Bay. But look, the world hates AJ Burnett right now. I even wrote WHY BURNETT SEALED HIS FATE after his last horrendous pitching performance and i was convinced, CONVINCED he pitched his way out of the rotation. But he has Joe Girardi wrapped around his finger and was given 1 more shot against the evil Red Sox this upcoming series. Why? Because, while AJ Burnett is a loser, he's not a total loser, he can still pitch in the bottom of the rotation somewhere if not on the New York Yankees. Now, Stan's right, the Mets make sense. Especially in a field like that where nothing leaves the ballpark. He may even turn into a star.

Then Chrapowicki brilliantly ties in Jason Bay. He writes:

"Not only would Bay be back in the league in which he had a career year (2009 with the Red Sox), he would be playing his home games at Yankee Stadium, which has been a launching pad since it opened three years ago. In his year and a half with Boston, Bay proved he could handle baseball's most intense rivalry (remember his game-tying blast off Mariano Rivera two years ago), so putting on the pinstripes should be no problem for him."



Right on Stan. Jason Bay was a star with the Red Sox and he could also be at Yankee Stadium with the way it's built. Lord knows no one is hitting home runs out of Citi Field, right David Wright? Bay provides a big bat in the lineup as a DH and an outfielder on platoon days. Make sense? It kind of does.

Once we have a bat like Bay in the lineup, we can finally utilize our young pitching and stop wasting a spot for Burnett. Look at Ivan Nova, right? He just won number 14 yesterday. We just wrote about Nova in THE RISE OF NOVA, THE FALL OF BURNETT. At this point, I'd take Nova in that #2 role over Burnett any day of the week. Maybe next season Phil Hughes gets right too, he could be #3. How about the kids on the farm, could they then get a fair shot? See what I mean? The pitching falls into order nicely and no headache of Burnett.

I applaud Stan Chrapowicki, great piece, I hope everyone gets a chance to read it. I loved it.

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WHY THAT'S BASEBALL

(Photo: Getty)
If you told me that Mariano Rivera would blow a save against the Mets today after the streak the Yankees had been having, I would have laughed in your face. But that's exactly what happened, so you have to tip your cap to the Mets and just move on. The worst part of it all you ask? Freddy Garcia pitched a wonderful game...and it was wasted.(Photo: Star-Ledger)
Freddy Garcia was able to keep the Mets held down, pitching 7 innings, allowing 6 hits and just one run. To see him get that win today would have been nice for the veteran... it's a shame.

Both Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher, who's hitting like mad right now, both knocked in runs for the Yanks and it seemed as though that's all they would need, our bullpen had been working it's magic for weeks and we all know that when Mariano comes in, it's over. The guy's a machine and for crying out loud, I just wrote WHY MARIANO IS A MACHINE a few days ago saying he's so automatic, you just know the games over when he comes in. Guess what? The game wasn't over, the Yankees lost today.

With 2 out in the ninth, Mo gave up the tying run. At that point, it wasn't the Yankees day, plain and simple. Luis Ayala was hit with the loss today, because he put a guy on with a walk. When Boone Logan came in, he was able to strikeout Beltran, but Ramiro Pena had an error so that loaded the bases. The Next thing you know, Hector Noesi came in and Jason Bay got the game winning hit. Full story HERE.(Photo: New York Times)
The play of the game for me had to be Brett Gardner chucking the ball home to nail Lucus Duca at the plate after Pena let the ball go between his legs. His arm has been incredible so you need to give him props.

Final Score today: Mets 3 - Yankees 2. Tough loss today but tomorrow we come back swinging as we enter Cleveland to play the Indians. Jeter is scheduled to be there. Back to the American League boys, let's take that awesome streak against the National League and keep it going in the AL.

Please comment and let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.