Only a few days ago you saw that former first-rounder Sean Burnett was pitching well in winter ball, and might be on his way to a successful comeback after several arm issues.

Well wouldn’t you know that the Pittsburgh Pirates have just DFA’d Burnett, to make room on the roster for Ray Olmedo?

I realize we think the pitching staff is “done” with the addition of Johan Santana, but it would be nice to pick up a few arms to re-stock the depth in AAA now that Philip Humber and Kevin Mulvey are no longer with us. Burnett could be a cheap, low-risk, high-reward acquisition to keep in the minors and possibly help the team at some point in 2008 or 2009.

According to reports, Burnett was healthy and pain-free all winter pitching in the Venezuelan Winter League, and had a strong showing during the Pirates’ minicamp in early January. He’s pitched the last two years in AAA but wasn’t terribly successful — though, he was recovering from Tommy John surgery. Why bother with a little lefty with a 5-5 MLB record and a history of arm problems? Four reasons: one, he’s a former first-rounder, so he must have some kind of talent. Two, he’s a lefty, and we need more of those. Three, he never relied on overpowering batters — he was considered a crafty, smart pitcher — so there’s a good chance a loss in velocity won’t damage his effectiveness. Finally, he’ll come dirt-cheap, and with low risk.

I say jump on him, sign him to a AAA deal, give him an ST invite, and see what happens. There’s plenty of room on the 40-man roster right now.

Spring training is less than two weeks away, but it’s still pretty cold up here in the northeast.

If you haven’t already, be sure to visit the MetsToday Store and pick up some cold weather gear that will keep you warm in the winter months.

For example:

Mets wool winter hat

Mets classic knit beanie

Mets knit scarf

Mets “to the letter” throwback jacket

Of course, there’s plenty more than that … enjoy browsing through the Mets Today Store!