Phillies trade rumors: Orioles, Pirates interested in A.J. Burnett

Though the Pirates and Orioles both lost out to the Phillies in the A.J. Burnett race when he was a free agent last winter, they could acquire him after all. According to reports, both Pittsburgh and Baltimore have interest in adding the veteran right-hander before the trade deadline.

As Jon Morosi of FOXSports.com reported over the weekend, the Phillies and Orioles have had "very preliminary" talks about a trade that would send Burnett to Baltimore, though the sides have not made much progress. The Orioles currently rank tenth in the American League in terms of rotation ERA with a 4.14 mark, meaning that they will look to add starting pitching as they hope to retain their position atop the AL East.

Burnett, who lives in Maryland, has stated previously that he would like to pitch close to home, but it is currently unclear if the O's are one of the 21 teams that he can block a trade to.

The Pirates are pursuing Burnett, according to major league sources, and seem very interested in a reunion with the righty. Pittsburgh scouted Burnett's start on Friday, as Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported, signaling that they are likely to engage Philadelphia in trade talks in the near future if they haven't already.

Sources indicate that the Pirates are one of nine teams on Burnett's "acceptable assignment" list, meaning that he can not block a trade to Pittsburgh if the Phillies agree to a deal with the Bucs.

Burnett, 37, has pitched to a 6-9 record and 4.08 ERA in 21 starts with the Phillies so far this season.