PIRATES GET VET BURNETT
The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired pitcher A.J. Burnett and cash from the New York Yankees for pitcher Diego Moreno and outfielder Exicardo Cayones.
What does it give the Pittsburgh Pirates
Since the Yankees are expected to pay a big chunk of the rest of Burnett's hefty contract, the Pirates get a proven veteran strikeout pitcher here at a relative bargain. While Burnett has been mostly mediocre overall the past two seasons, he is still a potentially major upgrade to many of the rotation options the Bucs have on their roster. Look for a lot of strikeouts from Burnett in 2012, but probably not much else.
What does it give the New York Yankees
Moving the disappointing Burnett accomplishes two objectives for the Yanks: they clarify their rotation, and they free up some cash to sign a bat. Neither Moreno nor Cayones is close to the majors but Moreno is a very solid pitching prospect. While he's still finding consistency in the minors, Moreno has a live arm and he projects as a future quality reliever. Cayones hasn't been as productive but the Yanks obviously see something they like in the lefty batter.
Fantasy impact
