AJ Burnett

With the postseason set to begin on Wednesday, the Yankees announced their roster for the American League Division series against the Twins. As expected, AJ Burnett is on the roster––although he is not in the starting rotation––while Ivan Nova and Javier Vazquez has been left out.

It's being reported this morning that A.J. Burnett will not be part of the Yankees' plans in the ALDS against the Twins.

Not exactly shocking news, I know. Dudes who lose 15 games and and post 5.26 ERAs don't typically inspire the faith of their manager come playoff time.

Via the NY Post:

You can say a lot of things about the New York Yankees.  They've got the most money, their offense is unbeatable, the list goes on and on.  However, one thing you can't say is that their starters are a lock every time they take the mound. 

A.J. Burnett has been up and down, Hughes has been shaky but good for the most part, and Javier Vazquez was demoted to the bullpen.

This has arisen many issues like, "Who starts Game 2?  Well they go with three starters like last year, or four?" 

With three games remaining in the regular season, the New York Yankees likely need to sweep the Boston Red Sox in order to win the American League East. That’s not officially the case, it just seems like it will be needed.

The Tampa Bay Rays lost last night which puts them in a tie with the Yankees. Both teams have three games left to play, but the Yankees need  a better overall record as the Rays would come out ahead in the event of a tie because they have a better head-to-head record.

Here are some notes:

Since 1920, 391 Yankees pitchers have had a seasonal ERA of at least 5.30. Of all those pitchers, no pitcher has been allowed to pitch as many innings as A.J. Burnett.

Why? Because Burnett is on a five-year deal, and he is making $16.5 million this season. Essentially, he is here to stay. It is mentally very difficult to waste $16.5 million dollars.

Last season, the New York Yankees were able to ride through the playoffs with a three-man rotation. This year's staff is not built for that. The Yankees will likely need a regular four-starter rotation when the playoffs begin.

The Yankees magic number was down to one, but they never really had a chance to clinch last night thanks to an absolutely terrible performance from starter A.J. Burnett, who couldn’t even last three innings as he gave up seven runs over 2.1 innings in a 7-5 loss in Toronto.

Here are some highlights:

Monday night, the Philadelphia Phillies won the NL East for the fourth straight season in a row.

Up in Toronto, the New York Yankees evening could have been a champagne party too. Instead, AJ Burnett imploded worse than ever on the mound and the Blue Jays won the game 7-5.

Burnett could not even get out of the third inning, and he was to blame for all seven runs scored.

Rock bottom?