CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman was first to report Burnett’s $8.5 million salary.
That’s a relatively surprising number, considering Burnett, who will be 38 in January, declined a player option he had with the Phillies that was worth $12.75 million. That means Burnett really, really wanted to get away from the Phillies, enough so that he voluntarily took a much lower salary for 2015.
Burnett was traded to Pittsburgh after back-to-back disastrous seasons with the Yankees – he had a 5.20 ERA in 2010-11 – and immediately found success with the Pirates. He had a 3.51 ERA over 31 starts in 2012 and a 3.30 ERA in 30 starts in 2013. The 2013 Pittsburgh team, of course, was the first one to make the playoffs since Barry Bonds wore a Pirates’ uniform.
Burnett signed a one-year deal with the Phillies after that season, with a mutual option that turned into a $12.75 million player option with his 34 starts in 2014. Clearly, he vastly preferred the western side of the state of Pennsylvania.
