The Yankees and Pirates have completed a trade Sunday that sends the much-maligned pitcher to Pittsburgh for a pair of minor leaguers. New York will also give the Pirates cash to cover part of Burnett's hefty salary.
The teams agreed to the deal Friday, but it was subject to Burnett passing a physical. He was at Pirates camp Sunday in Bradenton, Fla., to take his exam.
According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the Pirates were not the only Pennsylvania team interested in Burnett.
Olney tweeted Sunday night of the Phillies' reported plans.
According to his sources, last week, Philadelphia tried to trade Joe Blanton to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for former Phillie and Yankee Bobby Abreu.
Once the Phils acquired Abreu, sources said, they would trade him to the New York Yankees for Burnett.
"The Phillies' hope was that Burnett for two years would've provided at least a bit of a safety net in the event Hamels walks away as a [Free Agent]," Olney tweeted.
An earlier proposed deal between the Yankees and Angels was nixed reportedly by Burnett, as the Halos were one of the teams on his no-trade list.
Commissioner Bud Selig has to approve the Pirates-Yankees deal because of the money involved.
Pittsburgh will pay $13 million of the $33 million salary due Burnett for 2012 and 2013, a person familiar with the negotiations said Friday, speaking on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made at that time.
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The Associated Press contributed to this article.
