BOSTON -- Count Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston among those who expect pitcher A.J. Burnett to dip his toes into the free-agent waters after this season. Burnett has the ability to opt out of his contract with Toronto, and Gaston believes that's probably going to happen.

"It certainly looks like A.J. probably won't be here -- I don't know," Gaston said on Saturday. "He seems to want to get closer to home. Just put the numbers together and you can figure that one out real easy. He's probably got to do what's best for his family.

"I'd love to have him here, but if he wants to go somewhere else, you can't do anything about that."

Burnett, who has danced around questions concerning his contract all season long, once again decided not to tip his hand about his forthcoming decision. Instead, the 31-year-old pitcher shrugged off Gaston's comments, citing them as merely opinion -- not an indication of what Burnett plans to do.

"He's just answering a question," Burnett said. "He was probably putting himself in my shoes and answering anything that he would do, but I'm not going to worry about it. I've got a month and a half to finish."

Burnett, who signed a five-year contract worth $55 million with the Blue Jays during the 2005 Winter Meetings, is enjoying one of the strongest campaigns of his career. The right-hander has a 15-9 record, putting him in a tie with the Yankees' Mike Mussina for the second-highest win total in the American League.

Since Gaston took over as Toronto's manager on June 20, Burnett has gone 9-2 with a 3.73 ERA over 11 starts, striking out 75 in 72 1/3 innings over that span.

"He's pitched great since I've been here," Gaston said.

Burnett's 165 strikeouts lead the AL entering Saturday, while his 163 2/3 innings are tied for the fourth-highest ledger in the league. With an estimated eight or nine starts remaining this season, Burnett has a chance at 20 wins, and his value will undoubtedly continue to rise with each strong outing he turns in down the stretch.

Not that Burnett is thinking about his marketability.

"No, I look at it as I'm finally living up to my potential and my expectations," he said. "I don't really care about the [free-agent] market and money and things like that. I'm finally healthy, and I'm finally winning some ballgames and helping this team out for the first time in three years. That's the way I look at it."

Burnett finished with a 10-8 record in each of the past two seasons, which were marred by four trips to the disabled list for various arm problems. Over the past nine seasons, Burnett landed on the DL 10 times, though he's avoided health problems in what is essentially a contract year this time around.

That aspect would certainly add to Burnett's value as a free agent.

"I think everybody knows he's got a great arm," Gaston said. "I can't think of one manager in the league who wouldn't like to have his arm. It's just this year he's getting over the hump, I guess. When he goes out there, he's managed to stay out there probably a little bit longer than he has in the past."

Should Burnett decide to opt out of his contract, leaving the $24 million he's owed over the next two seasons on the table, Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said the club probably wouldn't seek a replacement through free agency. It's more likely that Toronto will look within its system to fill the vacant spot in the rotation.

"I think we have more depth now than we've ever had," Ricciardi said. "I think we're prepared in any way. If he wants to stay, he's more than welcome to stay. If he doesn't stay, then we think we've got enough guys internally that we can bridge the gap a little bit."

Ricciardi added that he hadn't talked to Burnett or his agent about the possibility of restructuring the pitcher's contract -- a possible way to keep him in a Toronto uniform. Burnett noted that he hadn't broached that subject with the Blue Jays or his representative, either.

"I haven't discussed anything. I'm going to wait," Burnett said. "I haven't made up my mind and I haven't talked to my family. I haven't talked to anyone about it. I'm just concentrating. I don't want to be distracted with any of that right now."