Though some thought it might have been a demand from Burnett, the 32-year-old said on Wednesday that the choice belonged solely to manager Joe Girardi.
"It was the manager's decision, I had no part in it," Burnett told the New York Daily News. "I've thrown good to both. My good games, I'm right. My bad games, it's not the catcher, it's me. … When I'm good, it doesn't matter which one is behind the plate."
The perceived rift between the pitcher and catcher stems from Burnett's display of anger in a 14-1 loss to Boston after giving up a home run.
"People don't know me here, so they don't know how to take me," Burnett told the News. "I was mad at myself, but from then on it was like, 'What's wrong with these two guys?' We have a great relationship inside the clubhouse, on the bench and even on the mound out there.
"It's making me out to be a bad guy again, and it comes down to Boston when I said, 'Why? Why? Why?' Over my career, I've done that a handful of times. But if you ask people that I played with, I don't show guys up. I even went to Joe in the past and said, 'Hey, give me either one.' It's his decision."
