A.J. Burnett: Burnett’s Divorce ‘Ugly’

Yankees pitcher A.J. Burnett is either divorced or in the process of getting one.

Colin Cowherd, an ESPN Radio host, said on his show Wednesday morning that “the stories are ugly” and described Burnett’s wife as “spiteful” and “vindictive.”

The divorce rumors have prompted some to wonder whether Burnett’s mysterious black eye, which appeared in September, was the result of a domestic-dispute incident. Originally, many thought Burnett suffered the black eye during an altercation with a teammate, but Burnett and Yankees manager Joe Girardi dismissed that rumor at the time.

Burnett was 10-15 with a 5.26 ERA in 2010, his second with the Bronx Bombers, and it’s fair to wonder whether his woeful output was on account of his tumultuous life away from the game.

If Burnett’s 2010 struggles were, in fact, on account of his marital troubles, it bodes well for the Yankees moving forward. They’ve invested a lot of money in the hard-throwing righty, signing him to a five-year, $82.5 million contract prior to the 2009 campaign, which ended in the Bombers claiming their 27th World Series title. Now that they’ve lost out on the Cliff Lee sweepstakes, a return to Burnett’s 2009 form — or perhaps ’07 or ’08 form — would go a long way toward the Yankees fortifying a rotation that was shaky in 2010 in large part due to Burnett’s struggles.

CC Sabathia will be counted on for his usual ace-like production, although even he is coming off offseason knee surgery. Phil Hughes is seen as a strong No. 3 or 4 starter, and Andy Pettitte, should he return, is expected to produce comparably. Still, that leaves a big hole in the rotation for a viable No. 2 or 3 starter, and that’s exactly what Burnett could be.