St. Louis Cardinals rumors: Sean Burnett would be an expensive fit in bullpen

One player the St. Louis Cardinals are interested in adding to their bullpen is relief pitcher Sean Burnett, according to a report from MLB.com's William Ladson.

Burnett, 30, is seeking a four-year deal, according to Ladson, after three full seasons with the Washington Nationals. In 2012, Burnett appeared in 70 games, throwing a combined 56⅔ innings, and finished with a 2.38 ERA. The season was an improvement from 2011, but didn't quite match his best season when he finished with a 2.14 ERA through 73 games in 2010.

Selected in the first round of the 2000 amateur draft by the Pirates, Burnett made his debut in 2004 with the team that drafted him. He started 13 games that season, but has not served as a starter since.

As a team, the Cardinals finished the 2012 season with a 3.71 ERA, the eighth-best mark in MLB. The team finished 88-74 and lost in the NL Championship Series to the San Francisco Giants.