Jonathan Papelbon was made it very clear that he wants out of Philadelphia, but A.J. Burnett said yesterday that he has no plans to request a trade from the Phillies.
Burnett, who like Papelbon can block some deals with a limited no-trade clause, told Todd Zolecki of MLB.com:
I signed here to play here. I’m not a guy who looks for an out or wants to get out because things aren’t going the right way. If that happens, then it happens, but I’m not looking to move on. This is my team. I understand how things work, but I’m trying not to worry about it. I just try to go about my business and enjoy my teammates.
Burnett hasn’t been able to duplicate the success he had for the Pirates in 2012 and 2013, but he’s been solid for the Phillies with a 3.83 ERA and 108/57 K/BB ratio in 132 innings and has pitched better of late. Having a $7.5 million player option (or $15 million team option) for 2015 could complicate things a bit, but there are certainly plenty of contenders for whom Burnett would be a sizable rotation upgrade.