For the second time in his career, A.J. Burnett is contemplating retirement and has said that he is "probably not" returning to the Philadelphia Phillies rotation in 2015 despite having a player option.
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Burnett, who also mulled calling it a career in 2013, hinted at retirement on Tuesday following the Phillies' 5-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners in interleague play. Burnett was asked after he took the loss if he would return to the mound for Philadelphia in 2015.
"Probably not. We'll see," he said via ESPN, hinting at possibly hanging up his cleats.
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Burnett has a player option for 2015 after signing a one-year deal with the Phillies and can max out his current deal for $12.5 million if he makes five more starts.
Burnett has continued to struggle since the All-Star break, dropping his fifth straight decision on Tuesday as he hasn't won a single game since the break. Burnett gave up all five runs the Mariners scored on Tuesday along with six hits and four walks while adding nine strikeouts in the loss.
In 15 seasons with the Miami (Florida) Marlins, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates, Burnett has a 153-146 record with a 4.02 ERA and 2,325 strikeouts. Burnett won the World Series with the Yankees in 2009.
The Phillies are well on their way to their second consecutive losing season and missing the playoffs for the third straight year. Philadelphia enters Wednesday with a 55-71 mark, 17 games behind the first place Washington Nationals in the National League East and is 11 games out of wild-card contention with the third-worst record in the NL.
Burnett, 37, has a career-high 14 losses and is 6-14 overall this season with a 4.42 ERA and 145 strikeouts.
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