Ricciardi: Burnett won't be traded

A few minutes after saying "we're open to doing anything, if it's the right situation" on Monday, Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi quickly excluded pitcher A.J. Burnett from that line of thinking. Ricciardi said flat out that Burnett will not be traded before the July 31 Trade Deadline.

"He's not going anywhere," Ricciardi said. "That's not going to change."

Ricciardi did note that he's been fielding calls on a handful of players over the past few days, but nothing that's led to serious talks. Among those rumored to be targeted are left-handed reliever Scott Downs, catchers Rod Barajas and Gregg Zaun, as well as shortstops David Eckstein and John McDonald.

Left-handed reliever Brian Tallet was also linked to the Mets in a recent report, but the southpaw landed on the 15-day disabled list on Monday. According to manager Cito Gaston, Tallet stubbed his small right toe while walking through his apartment late at night earlier this week, resulting in a non-displaced fracture. Tallet is expected to miss at least two weeks.

As for Burnett, there have also been rumors indicating that the Blue Jays might be willing to restructure his current contract in order to convince the hard-throwing right-hander not to opt out of his deal at season's end. Ricciardi tiptoed around that topic, saying it was too early to delve into that possibility.

"I think it's premature at this point," Ricciardi said. "That's something you have to get ownership on board with. Right now, we're comfortable the way the situation is."

The situation is that Burnett could elect to test the free-agent market this winter. If he walks, Toronto would likely receive two first-round picks as compensation. If Burnett doesn't opt out, he's scheduled to make $12 million in each of the 2009-2010 seasons. It's a situation that could be making teams reluctant to deal for Burnett.

Even if the Blue Jays are taking Burnett of the trading block, Ricciardi said he expected conversations to heat up with other clubs as the deadline continues to near.

"I think as people find out that X amount of things aren't available, they may come to us," Ricciardi said. "We'll see. That doesn't mean we're going to do anything."

--Jordan Bastian