A.J. Burnett to Pirates: Latest Contract Details, Comments, Reaction

Starting pitcher A.J. Burnett enjoyed two of his best seasons as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he will look to recapture that magic in 2015.

The Pirates announced the deal via Twitter:

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com noted the money involved:

Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review had Burnett's thoughts:

The Pirates had more Burnett quotes:

Burnett spent the 2014 campaign with the Philadelphia Phillies, going 8-18 with a 4.59 ERA. As pointed out by MLB on Fox, those numbers were a far cry from his production in Pittsburgh:

Although Burnett could have remained in Philly by exercising a $12.75 million player option, he decided to test the open market instead after declining it.

Burnett actually lost money by opting out, but the move means that he will be part of a contending team that has reached the postseason in consecutive years.

He is a volatile pitcher, as evidenced by his career record of 155-150 with a 4.04 ERA, but Burnett experienced a career resurgence in Pittsburgh after a few up-and-down seasons with the New York Yankees.

Burnett will be 38 when the 2015 season starts, so he may not have much time remaining as an MLB pitcher, but the Pirates may have a steal on their hands if they can catch lightning in a bottle twice.

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