A.J. Burnett spurns Braves, signs with Yankees

The Braves are still searching for an ace.

Free agent A.J. Burnett decided Friday to sign with the New York Yankees instead of the Braves, who made an offer similar in length and dollars to the Yankees’ reported five-year, $82.5 million proposal.

“A.J. would have been a great addition for us, but we’re moving on,” said Braves general manager Frank Wren, who has spent much of the offseason trying in vain to land a premier starting pitcher.

Burnett won 18 games and led the American League with 231 strikeouts for Toronto in 2008. After his agent negotiated with the Braves and Yankees at baseball’s Winter Meetings this week in Las Vegas, Burnett spent Thursday and Friday making his decision.

He opted for pinstripes and Bronx over Braves. The Yankees have 26 World Championships and unparalleled resources, but this decision might have been more about location. Burnett’s wife doesn’t fly, and a three-hour commute from their Maryland home to New York was easier than to Atlanta.

“It just became very apparent that we couldn’t move Atlanta closer to Maryland,” Wren said. “They were going to give us a decision last night, but they were really struggling and asked us for an extension. They called us today and said they had decided to go in a different direction.

“I think if we had been a little closer to their home, things might have been a little different.”

ESPN.com reported the Yankees’ offer to Burnett was worth $82.5 million. The Braves’ offer was believed to be worth $80 million, after the Braves increased an initial four-year, $64 million offer by turning a fifth-year option into a guarantee.

So Atlanta’s pitching search continues. Last month, Wren pulled out of stalled negotiations for San Diego’s Jake Peavy, the 2007 Cy Young Award winner. It’s uncertain if the Braves will attempt to revive those talks. The Chicago Cubs pulled out of Peavy negotiations on Thursday.

Burnett, who will be 32 in January, struggled with injuries throughout his career before having his best season for the Blue Jays. He never had more than 12 wins before 2008.

The well-timed 2008 performance prompted Burnett to exercise an opt-out clause in his contract that permitted him to walk away from two remaining $12 million seasons and become a free agent. In a market with precious few top-shelf starters, his price soared.