PITTSBURGH — Jeromy Burnitz lives out of a suitcase.

The 37-year-old right fielder with a powerful left-handed swing seems to always be on the go.

From Milwaukee to New York to Los Angeles to Colorado to Chicago and now to Pittsburgh in just the last three years alone, Burnitz has been baseball's version of a mercenary, hired from year to year by different franchises that are looking for a power bat without a long-term commitment.

But Burnitz isn't dismayed by his nomadic ways. In fact, he kind of enjoys it.

"It's not hard at all," Burnitz said. "It's actually really easy. Ballplayers are a good group because they are usually a humble people, so, it's always easy to get to know the new guys. Actually, moving around as much as I've had is one of the pleasures of my career because I got to meet a lot of interesting people."

Burnitz signed a one year, $6.7 million deal in the off-season with the Pirates, a club desperate for a power hitter in the middle of the order to protect burgeoning star Jason Bay. His signing didn't come without some controversy, however.

Burnitz was set to sign a two-year deal with Baltimore, but his agent nixed the deal at the last minute, allowing him to fall into the lap of the Pirates.

So far, Burnitz is happy he did, despite the slower than expected 1-7 start Pittsburgh is battling its way through following an 8-3 loss in the home opener at PNC Park to the Los Angeles Dodgers Monday afternoon.

When it comes to baseball, Burnitz has pretty much been there, done that. When he walked into the Pirates' clubhouse in spring training for the first time, it didn't take him long to size up the situation.

"It's the same as with every team that has had a history of recent battles," Burnitz said. "There's no swagger in the clubhouse. But there are some capable bodies in here. I don't know what it was like before. So far, it's been good, fun, happy."

Burnitz is one of baseball's biggest enigmas.

His career has spanned more than a decade and at each of his ever-growing stops, he's put up very serviceable numbers.

He broke into the major leagues with the New York Mets in 1993, but was dealt to Cleveland two years later. Then from Cleveland he was sent to Milwaukee and then trade back to the Mets, then to the Dodgers.

In all, Burnitz has been traded four times and has signed free agent deals with new teams three times.

Burnitz hit 30 or more home runs for four straight seasons with the Brewers. His best overall season, though, was in 2004 with Colorado when he hit .283 with 37 home runs and 110 RBI.

He hit his 300th career home run with the Pirates last Tuesday against Milwaukee.

Burnitz's presence in Pittsburgh is more than just for the numbers he can put up. He's a mentor of sorts for a young outfield group that includes fellow left-handed hitters Chris Duffy and Nate McLouth.

"Burnie is a guy I've learned more about by just watching him and watching how he goes about things — his at-bats, his daily routine," McLouth said. "It's been invaluable to have a guy like him around for a guy like me."

Burnitz isn't shy about helping out the younger players as much as he can.

From the day he walked into the clubhouse, he's made himself available to all advice seekers.

He just hopes he's doling out the right kind.

"I've talked to Duff a bunch, but he's battling right now, so I'm obviously not helping him very much," Burnitz said of Duffy, who came into the loss to the Dodgers Monday hitting .130. "I love those guys, and I will do everything I can for them on a daily basis. I'll spit out some of the crud I've been through, which is quite a bit."

Burnitz's goals are easy. He has no idea of how many homers he wants to hit, or runs he wants to drive in, or a batting average he'd like to attain.

"My goal is to be ready to play the game every day," he said. "Most years, things after that take care of themselves. I just want to stay healthy and play the game as good as I can on a daily basis. That's all I got."