31-year old righty starting pitcher A.J. Burnett is declining his options for 2009 and 2010 ($24 million bucks) deciding to become a free agent instead. Burnett pitched in 35 games (34 starts) for the Blue Jays last season and he was 18-10 with a 4.07 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. Burnett whiffed 231 batters this season showing what he can do when he stays healthy. Burnett pitched three seasons in Toronto covering 81 games (80 starts) in which he was 38-26 with a 3.94 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP. Teams will likely be lining up to throw money at A.J. Burnett starting this week and the Jays will miss him.