Adrian

Burnside

Burnside, 29, is making a case to be the next reliever called up by the Blue Jays. He has a 2.55 ERA and a 23/5 K/BB ratio in 17 2/3 innings.

Burnside, who went 4-7 with a 6.13 ERA in 14 starts and 12 relief appearances for Triple-A Toledo last season, has above average stuff for a lefty, but injuries and control issues have stopped him from developing. He’ll open 2005 at Triple-A Syracuse.

Burnside, 30, has always had good stuff, but poor command has held him back. He’ll earn about $300,000 in Japan.

Because the holidays shut down major league offices, it was 19 days, not the usual 10, between the move to designate Burnside for assignment and send him outright to the minors.

Burnside missed about half of last season and didn’t pitch well when healthy, posting a 6.28 ERA in 67 1/3 IP for Double-A Erie. The Tigers have elected to keep him on the 40-man roster for now, but he could be placed on waivers once they start signing free agents.

Burnside, one of the prospects the Tigers received from the Pirates for Randall Simon, missed about half of last season and didn’t pitch well when healthy, posting a 6.28 ERA in 67 1/3 IP for Double-A Erie. He still has some chance of developing into a decent reliever, but he’ll clear waivers.

Burnside, 29, spent the last two years with Triple-A Syracuse and had a 3.48 ERA in 33 relief appearances in 2006. There was a time when he was a pretty good relief prospect, but shaky command and injuries have prevented him from making an impact.