So, how does A.J. Burnett feel near the end of his first season with the Phillies?
Like “horse—.”
That was Burnett’s response after he suffered his league-leading 17th loss of the season against the Padres. That defeat dropped the Phillies to an NL East-worst 69-82, which is probably not what the 37-year-old Burnett expected when he put off retirement and spurned a Pirates return to sign a one-year, $14 million deal with a player option for next season.
“I expected a lot of things to be different,” Burnett told Philly.com. “A lot.”
Burnett has pitched 202 2/3 innings, the most since his first season with the Yankees in 2009, and has eight wins and a 4.40 ERA to go with those 17 losses.
“If I can lift my arm up at the end of the season then I might pitch,” Burnett said. “We’ll see how it goes.”
Burnett may have been holding back and hinted he’d have more to say after the season.
“I told you we’ll discuss that when the time comes,” Burnett said.