Post by #1 Jays Fan on Jul 5, 2007 12:05:01 GMT -5
Sportsnet.ca - Blue Jays' general manager J.P. Ricciardi had harsh words for often-injured starter A.J. Burnett on a Toronto radio station, saying that Burnett may now be considered a third or fourth starter, and if he had to do it all over again, he probably would not have signed Burnett to a five-year $55 million deal in December, 2005.
Speaking on the Fan 590 on Thursday morning, Ricciardi expressed concern over whether Burnett is willing to pitch through pain.
"When he takes the ball he's good, we've got no complaints every times he's been on the mound... we just need to find a way to keep him out there. I don't know if it's psychological, I don't know if it's just (that) he gets to a point where he feels something (that) he's so scarred from being hurt so many times that he just backs off, but I think he's going to have to get over that hump at some point and just maybe pitch through some pain or realize the difference between being hurt and really being hurt."
Furthermore, given the success of young pitchers Shawn Marcum, Dustin McGowan and Jesse Litsch, if Burnett can't handle the role of number two starter behind ace Roy Halladay, he may find himself in the third or fourth spot in the rotation.
"As long as (McGowan, Marcum, Litsch) keep throwing well, we don't have to rely on A.J. to be that number two starter, we can start sliding him down to the third or fourth spot and we can start to build our rotation a little better," said Ricciardi.
On the Wednesday postgame show on the Fan 590, Ricciardi said that he would not have signed Burnett back in December, 2005 if he had known how successful the young pitchers would be for the Blue Jays.
"If we had (Casey) Janssen, Litsch, Marcum, McGowan, I probably wouldn't (have signed Burnett), just because I would have that pitching lined up," said Ricciardi.
Speaking on the Fan 590 on Thursday morning, Ricciardi expressed concern over whether Burnett is willing to pitch through pain.
"When he takes the ball he's good, we've got no complaints every times he's been on the mound... we just need to find a way to keep him out there. I don't know if it's psychological, I don't know if it's just (that) he gets to a point where he feels something (that) he's so scarred from being hurt so many times that he just backs off, but I think he's going to have to get over that hump at some point and just maybe pitch through some pain or realize the difference between being hurt and really being hurt."
Furthermore, given the success of young pitchers Shawn Marcum, Dustin McGowan and Jesse Litsch, if Burnett can't handle the role of number two starter behind ace Roy Halladay, he may find himself in the third or fourth spot in the rotation.
"As long as (McGowan, Marcum, Litsch) keep throwing well, we don't have to rely on A.J. to be that number two starter, we can start sliding him down to the third or fourth spot and we can start to build our rotation a little better," said Ricciardi.
On the Wednesday postgame show on the Fan 590, Ricciardi said that he would not have signed Burnett back in December, 2005 if he had known how successful the young pitchers would be for the Blue Jays.
"If we had (Casey) Janssen, Litsch, Marcum, McGowan, I probably wouldn't (have signed Burnett), just because I would have that pitching lined up," said Ricciardi.
