Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage was interviewed on 93.7 radio in Pittsburgh and indicated that he expects free agent A.J. Burnett to retire, saying:
I’m on that percentage point where he’s not going to come back. Right now I’m leaning that way, where he’s going to retire.
Burnett was one of the best pitchers in the National League last season, throwing 191 innings with a 3.50 ERA and 209 strikeouts at age 37, but he’s dropped some pretty strong hints about retirement all offseason and is apparently willing to pass up a big payday to call it a career.
That would be a tough blow to Pittsburgh’s rotation, which already has a big health-related question mark in Wandy Rodriguez and is hoping to turn around Edinson Volquez’s career. Of course, with a front two of Francisco Liriano and Gerrit Cole the Pirates are still in pretty decent shape.
