Five Teams Pursuing $217 Million Four-Time All-Star Ace, Insider Says
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As the baseball world descends upon Dallas for the winter meetings, everyone is still waiting to see how the Juan Soto free agency sweepstakes will end. Despite that, top hurler Corbin Burnes is beginning to see his market take shape.
The four-time All-Star and 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner is the best starting pitcher available on the open market now that Blake Snell has signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Fellow hurler Max Fried is right behind him.
During a Friday Bleacher Report live stream, the New York Post's Jon Heyman named five teams who are pursuing Burnes to varying degrees. He mentioned the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants and Baltimore Orioles as the most likely landing spots for the Scott Boras client.
Burnes spent the 2024 season with the Orioles and posted a 15-9 record with a 2.92 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 181 strikeouts in 194 1/3 innings. Baltimore seems to have the lowest odds of landing the righty based on how Heyman described the current situation.
One interesting omission from Heyman's comments is the New York Mets. Burnes was reportedly the top priority for president of baseball operations David Stearns earlier in the offseason. If that was true, priorities have likely changed since the Mets signed Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes as rotation additions over the past week.
Burnes is on the verge of getting a huge payday from whichever team lands him. The Athletic's Tim Britton is projecting a seven-year, $217 million contract for the ace.
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