Buster Olney writes that the Yankees want outfielder / first baseman Garrett Jones from the Pirates in exchange for starting pitcher A.J. Burnett, but that the Pirates won't give Jones up.
↵Jones is a flawed player, but this is the right decision by the Bucs -- their first base situation is a bit of a mess, but Jones looks like the best candidate for the job, at least against right-handed pitching. By acquiring Burnett, the Pirates would patch an enormous hole in their rotation, but they'd be ripping open an already-existing hole at first base. I'm not sure how seriously to take the Pirates' recent pursuits of Edwin Jackson and Roy Oswalt, but they do at least suggest the Pirates have some money to spend, and the Yankees are trying to rid themselves of Burnett's contract. I would rather the Pirates increase the amount of Burnett's salary they're willing to take on than give up a player who has at least some value to the 2012 team.
↵Burnett's disappointing results in New York were at least partly superficial, and his peripheral numbers suggest he can still help. He has also stayed injury-free for several years, which would make him even more of an asset to a Pirates rotation that appears vulnerable to injury. He would be a nice addition to the Pirates, but the price would have to be right.
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