NEW YORK -- The Yankees agreed Friday to trade much maligned pitcher A.J. Burnett to Pittsburgh for two minor leaguers, a deal that clears the way for New York to add Raul Ibanez. Pittsburgh will pay US$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 has been made. New York will receive 25-year-old right-hander Diego Moreno and 20-year-old outfielder Exicardo Cayones, both low-level prospects. The agreement is subject to Burnett passing a physical, which is likely to take place Sunday. Commissioner Bud Selig also must approve it because of the money involved. "I think hes looking forward to the opportunity to re-establish himself and mentor some of the young pitchers," said Burnetts agent, Darek Braunecker. Braunecker said Burnett planned to be at the Pirates spring training complex in Bradenton, Fla., on Sunday. New York intends to use the money saved to sign a designated hitter. The Yankees already have been negotiating a major league contract with Ibanez, who spent the last three seasons with Philadelphia. He has been waiting for New York to agree to the deal, a person familiar with those negotiations said, also on condition of anonymity. The contract for the 39-year-old outfielder would have a base salary of about $1 million. New York also hopes to re-sign backup infielder Eric Chavez. A 35-year-old right-hander, Burnett has gone 34-35 with a 4.79 ERA during three seasons with New York, including 11-11 with a 5.15 ERA last year. His average of 3.98 walks per nine innings was second in the AL and fifth in the majors during that span among pitchers with 400 or more innings, according to STATS LLC. Burnett became superfluous when the Yankees acquired Michael Pineda from Seattle in a trade and agreed to a one-year deal with free agent Hiroki Kuroda. They joined holdovers CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova, Phil Hughes and Freddy Garcia. In Pittsburgh, Burnett joins a rotation that includes newly signed Canadian Erik Bedard and returnees James McDonald, Kevin Correia and Jeff Karstens. Charlie Morton is recovering from hip surgery in October. When Morton is available, Karstens could return to the bullpen and spot starts. Burnett already has received $2,062,500 of his salary for this year because the Yankees pay him in twice-monthly installments over the entire year rather than from April to September, which is the major league standard. Of the remaining $14,437,500, Pittsburgh will pay $5 million and the Yankees $9,437,500. Next year the Pirates will pay $8 million and the Yankees $8.5 million. Both prospects appear to have little chance of making it to the majors any time soon. Moreno was 2-4 with a 3.21 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 33 2-3 innings last year during 34 relief appearances for Bradenton of the Florida State League and 0-0 with a 4.91 ERA in seven games with Double-A Altoona. Cayones was 2 for 32 (.063) for State College of the New York-Penn League and 24 for 98 (.293) with no homers and 12 RBIs for the Gulf Coast Pirates last year. Notes: Reliever Hideki Okajima was released from his minor league contract with the Yankees after failing his physical, a person familiar with the decision said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Yankees did not make an announcement. A 36-year-old left-hander, Okajima agreed with the Yankees in December, and the team announced the deal Feb. 8. He was 1-0 with a 4.32 ERA in 8 1-3 innings over seven relief appearances for Boston last year, and 8-1 with a 2.29 ERA in 34 relief appearances at Triple-A Pawtucket. An all-star as a rookie in 2007, he is 17-8 with a 3.11 ERA and six saves in five major league seasons. nfl jerseys china . Sipple was signed as a free agent by the Los Angeles Angels last season, following his senior year at Florida Southern College. wholesale jerseys . 8 out of the corner of his eye, flipped the puck in that general direction and hoped for the best. When it comes to Teemu Selanne, the best tends to happen. http://www.cheapnfljerseyschinapla... . Then, Boston refused to take it easy on Detroits relievers. Jacoby Ellsbury hit a three-run homer off Max Scherzer in a five-run second inning, and hot-hitting Boston went on to rout the Tigers 14-1 in an eight-inning, rain-shortened game Thursday. [url=http://www.cheapnfljerseyschinaplay.com/]cheap jerseys from china .C. -- Kyle Busch apologized repeatedly Thursday for showing a "lack of judgment" in driving 128 miles per hour in a 45 m. cheap nfl jerseys . Incognito had a grievance hearing postponed last week while Wells interviewed Dolphins players, coaches and staff members surrounding the harassment and bullying allegations in the wake of Jonathan Martins exit from the team prior to the Week 9 game against Cincinnati. CARACAS, Venezuela -- The government sent top investigators Thursday to hunt for Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos, whose abduction has shaken Venezuelas elite athletes and focused attention on the nations sharp rise in kidnappings for ransom. The 24-year-old player, who had returned to Venezuela after his rookie season, was just outside the front door at his home Wednesday night when an SUV approached, armed men got out "and they took him away," said Ramos agent, Gustavo Marcano. It was the first known kidnapping of a Major League Baseball player in Venezuela, though the relatives of some ballplayers have previously been held captive for ransom. Police found the kidnappers vehicle abandoned in the nearby town of Bejuma on Thursday morning, Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami said. He said anti-kidnapping units led by "the best investigators we have" were dispatched to the area in central Carabobo state. He vowed to rescue Ramos and capture his abductors. "Were taking on this investigation with everything weve got," El Aissami said. MLB and the Nationals said the leagues Department of Investigations was working with authorities. "Our foremost concern is with Wilson Ramos and his family and our thoughts are with them at this time," the team and the MLB said in a joint statement, adding there would be no further comment. Ramos was outside with his father and two brothers in their working-class neighbourhood on the outskirts of Valencia when the SUV pulled up with four men inside, three of whom got out and seized the player, Marcano said. "The abductors havent made contact with the family or with anyone," said Domingo Alvarez, vice-president of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. "Were worried." At baseball games in three Venezuelan stadiums, fans and players observed a minute of silence Thursay night in support of Ramos, and prayed for him. Some held signs reading: "Free Wilson Ramos!" Julio Franco, a Dominican former major leaguer who is manager of the Venezuelan Caribes team, grabbed a microphone and spoke to fans at a game in the eastern city of Puerto La Cruz. "Jesus, we ask you for your grace and divine power to protect our brother, Wilson Ramos," he said. To show support, teams added green to their uniforms, some sporting a green band on one shoulder, others a green "W" for Wilson embroidered on the chests of their jerseys. Ramos is a key young player for the Nationals. As a rookie in 2011, he hit .267 with 15 home runs and 52 RBIs in 113 games. He also threw out 19 of 67 runners attempting to steal a base, a 28 per cent success rate that ranked third among qualifying catchers in the National League. Washington acquired Ramos from the Minnesota Twins in a trade for all-star relief pitcher Matt Capps in July 2010. He is one of dozens of Venezuelans in professional baseball, and security whhile at home has increasingly become a concern for the players and their families as a rising wave of kidnappings has hit the wealthy as well as the middle class.dddddddddddd Venezuelan police said 618 kidnappings were reported in 2009, and the numbers have grown rapidly in recent years. In 1998, when President Hugo Chavez was elected, just 52 kidnappings were reported. Security experts say the real number of kidnappings today is much higher because many cases arent reported to authorities. The wealthy have taken steps to protect themselves. Sales of armoured cars have soared in the past several years. Bodyguards typically shadow major leaguers when they return to their homeland to play in the winter league. "Every major league player has his own security, but we dont know if he had his security there at that time," Alvarez said. Katherine Vilera, spokeswoman for Ramos Venezuelan team, the Aragua Tigers, said on Twitter that neighbours gathered at his home and prayed. Former Boston Red Sox slugger Tony Armas, who lives in Venezuela, said young players have been taking additional security measures due to the risk of kidnappings. "But many of them are careless sometimes. No one seriously thinks that this can happen to us, and much less in a country like ours where people love baseball," Armas said in a telephone interview. "Most of us came from humble families. We still have relatives who live in poor areas; we frequent those places and unfortunately the criminals are getting more soulless all the time," he said. In November 2009, the 56-year-old mother of Victor Zambrano, who retired after a seven-year Major League career, was rescued in a commando-style operation three days after she was kidnapped. The former pitchers cousin, Richard Mendez Zambrano, had been kidnapped a few days earlier, and was later killed. In June 2009, Colorado Rockies catcher Yorvit Torrealbas 11-year-old son and brother-in-law were kidnapped and released a day later. The mother of former player Ugueth Urbina, who was a two-time All-Star pitcher, spent more than five months in captivity until she was rescued in early 2005. Venezuela has one of Latin Americas highest murder rates, and violent crime has worsened in recent years. As ransom kidnapping has soared, the government passed a revised law in 2009 that stiffened prison sentences for kidnapping and also allows authorities to freeze the banks accounts of victims families to prevent them from paying ransom. Ramos had been training and planned to start playing with his Venezuelan team next week. Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Melvin Mora, also a Venezuelan, proposed that the Venezuelan league ought to call off its games "until he appears." But league president Jose Grasso said that wont happen. "Turning out the stadium lights isnt a solution," Grasso said, calling Ramos abduction "an isolated event." cheap nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '