Sep 5, 2015 2 min read

Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Neal Huntington recently addressed the matter of having five infielders competing for three positions, saying the players “are putting their egos aside and putting their personal ambitions aside for the betterment of the team.” Would pitcher A.J. Burnett fall into that category?

In contemplating his return from a stint on the disabled list Burnett recently stated that he has “no interest” in pitching out of the bullpen, if that were to be asked of him.

Who is the manager of this team? Burnett obviously believes that it is him. We have seen this when he engaged in a public spat with management about the infield shift, which he does not endorse, and when he was reported to have vociferously challenged Clint Hurdle for selecting Gerrit Cole rather than him to pitch a critical game against the Cardinals two years ago. Burnett believes that he has the right to jaw with and seek to embarrass the home-plate umpire when he does not like a ball call, placing a victory at risk through the potential for a swift ejection.

What are the ramifications for the ballclub if Burnett is permitted to dictate in what capacity he will pitch? Does his contract state that he cannot be used as anything but a starter? Does there not come a time when the manager’s authority must be recognized as paramount and someone who does not wish to honor their lucrative contract is put in their place?

Oren Spiegler

Upper St. Clair