Still no word on A.J. Burnett

It's still unclear whether A.J. Burnett will pitch next season, according to Jon Morosi:

A.J. Burnett has not given Pirates any indication as to whether he will pitch in 2014 or retire, according to GM Neal Huntington.

Remember three weeks ago, when Burnett said he was going to take about a week to make his decision? The Pirates probably wish Burnett would make up his mind, given that whether or not they sign him could end up being the most significant move of their offseason. The Pirates will, of course, soon have to make decisions about other moves, and it should be much easier for them to do so if they know whether or not Burnett will be in the fold.

Speaking of Burnett, Tom Singer has the single most depressing solution to Burnett's decision I've seen. The Pirates could pay Burnett to play a prorated portion of a season, rather than a whole season, just like the Astros used to do with Roger Clemens, both so that Burnett can spend more time with his family and so that the Pirates don't have to pay for a full season at market rates. Which would, of course, mean that the best the Pirates could do with their offseason was to pay for a half a good player.