"As he looks forward to the 2009 season, Jays manager Cito Gaston seems resigned to playing it without A.J. Burnett.

“It certainly looks like A.J. won’t be here,” Gaston said before Saturday’s game as he reflected on next year’s rotation. “I don’t know, but we might have a few guys who can pick that slack up.”

Burnett denied that he’s made up his mind one way or the other.

“I'm going to wait. I haven't made up my mind. I haven't talked to my family. I haven't talked to anyone about it. I don't want to be distracted with anything right now,” the 31-year-old pitcher said.

Burnett can opt out of the final two years of his Toronto contract and file for free agency at the end of the year.

“We’ll see what happens at the end of the year,” GM J.P. Ricciardi said. “We’re well aware that that’s a situation that can happen. If it does, we’ll deal with it.”

Asked if he’d discussed the matter with Burnett, Gaston said he hadn’t.

“If you really look at it … he seems to want to get closer to home. Just put the numbers together and you can figure it out real easy,” Gaston said.

Burnett maintains a home outside Baltimore, near his wife’s family.

“He’s probably going to do what’s best for his family. I’d love to have him here,” Gaston said. “If he wants to go somewhere else, you can’t do anything about that.”

Burnett is currently due to earn $24 million (U.S.) in 2009/10. Considering the year he is enjoying, he would command two or three times that amount on the open market."