Baseball

Some have speculated that $10 million was the magic number to get a deal done, but apparently that's not the case. Of course, this could just be posturing on the Yankees' part as they try to get a better prospect in return, but it doesn't sound as though a deal is imminent.

Heyman reported Friday morning that the Pirates had yet to agree to cover $10 million, but the two sides are clearly making some progress. The Yankees have asked for a decent prospect in return, but the quality of the prospect will be directly affected by how much Pittsburgh is willing to pay. It's unlikely somebody else will be willing to cover more of Burnett's salary than the Bucs, so this deal has a decent chance of happening.

Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio has reported the same details. The contract will be finalized after the right-hander passes a physical. It's not a bad deal for the O's after Ayala posted a fine year for the Yankees in 2011, holding a 2.09 ERA in 52 appearances. He'll help set up for Jim Johnson.

We last heard that the Pirates were willing to cover $8 million of the $33 million remaining on Burnett's contract but that a deal could probably go down if they were willing to cover a little more. The Yanks have asked for Garrett Jones in the deal, but that request was rejected by the Bucs. It's a straight salary dump trade that's likely to net very little for the Yanks in return. Both teams report for spring training in less than two weeks, so if they iron something out, it will likely happen sometime over the next week or so.

Kubatko says it's a major league deal and is pending a physical. It's not clear how much the contract is for, though some reports say there could be an option tacked onto the one-year deal. Ayala posted a 2.09 ERA in 52 appearances with the Yankees last season, which was his first decent year since 2007. He'll presumably serve as a setup man for Jim Johnson. The signing of Ayala and recent acquisition of Matt Lindstrom would seem to make it unlikely that the O's will re-acquire Koji Uehara.

Previous reports said the Bucs would be willing to absorb $8 million of Burnett's salary, and it sounds like, at least at this time, that they're unwilling to budge. Both Heyman and the New York Post's Joel Sherman think a deal could be consummated if the Pirates would agree to take on a couple more million. The Yankees are reportedly talking to several clubs about Burnett, but so far only the Pirates have been mentioned as definite suitors.

The Yankees have asked for Garrett Jones in the deal but were rebuffed by the Pirates. It would just be a salary dump, as they want to clear some payroll space in order to re-sign Eric Chavez, as well as add some depth at DH, likely in the form of Raul Ibanez. It doesn't seem like a deal is particularly likely at this point, but it does sound like it's still on the table.