Phillies Interested in A.J. Burnett?

Free agent pitcher A.J. Burnett plans to pitch in 2014 and is thought to be open to offers from all teams.  According to Travis Sawchik from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the Phillies could be one of the teams that are interested in his services.

The Pirates are still waiting for a decision from the 37-year-old right-hander, who stated earlier this winter that he will either retire or return for one more season in Pittsburgh.

Burnett, registered an outstanding 3.30 ERA, 1.215 WHIP and 209/67 K/BB ratio in 191 innings last year for the Pirates.

Burnett could be just what the Phillies need if they could land him on a one-or-two-year deal.  What also makes Burnett an interesting option is, unlike other top rotation arms that remain, he is not tied to draft-pick compensation since the Pirates felt they could not afford to make a qualifying offer.