In a wave of news that might surprise even those accustomed to the Phillies’ big moves of late, Buster Olney of ESPN tweeted on Friday evening that Philadelphia was among the teams that targeted pitcher A.J. Burnett.
The 35-year-old starter, who was signed by the Yankees in 2009 as part of New York’s spending spree on pitchers, was traded to the Pirates this week, but despite the presence of Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, and Cole Hamels in their current rotation; Olney reported the Phillies had their sights set on potentially landing Burnett. As Olney mentioned, the team was also looking to unload SP Joe Blanton, which would have been necessary in the event Burnett joined the Phils.