Perhaps the most surprising contract of the offseason came together last night when the Diamondbacks and the right-hander. Corbin Burns reportedly reached a six-year deal that guarantees Burnes $210MM. It’s a deal that Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reported he put together quickly after Burnes’ camp expressed the right-hander’s desire to play in the desert. Before Burnes turned to Arizona, the three teams most commonly connected to the right were the Orioles, their rival Blue Jays, and the Diamondbacks’ division rival Giants.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today previously reported that the Jays and Giants both offered Burnes more than what he ended up receiving from the Diamondbacks, but subsequent reports have shed more light on the offers Burnes received prior to signing, particularly from Baltimore and Toronto. The Orioles, according to Danielle Allentuck of the Baltimore Banner, made a “competitive offer” for Burnes that fell short of the deal he signed in Arizona. The specifics of the club’s request to Burnes are unclear, but it is worth noting that Nightengale later reported that the Orioles and Blue Jays both negotiated franchise-record contracts while adding that one AL East club offered Burnes a seven-year contract. , a $250MM contract that didn’t come with an opt-out. Jon Heyman of the New York Post, on the other hand, described the Blue Jays, Orioles, and another team from the Eastern Conference as the three biggest buyers for Burnes. That report follows Nightengale’s reporting but contradicts Allentuck’s as Heyman appears to suggest the Orioles are outbidding the Diamondbacks for Burnes’ services.
It’s not clear which AL East club made Nightengale’s $250MM offer, and it’s worth noting that both the Yankees and Red Sox were considered serious contenders for Burnes’ services before the right-hander moved to the States. Fried Max again Garrett Crochet respectively. Both the Orioles and Blue Jays didn’t have to go anywhere near that $250MM level to give Burnes the largest contract in franchise history; Toronto’s current record for guaranteed money is the six-year, $150MM contract they gave an outfielder. George Springerwhile the current Orioles record is held by a former first baseman Chris Davis and his seven-year, $161MM deal. Those relatively low ratings make giving Burnes a franchise-record guarantee an obvious move for any club to pursue if they’re serious about pursuing the right-hander, as he was expected to get a deal in the $200MM range from the start. of the pre-season before the focus is on the hot winter market to start riding.
No matter how competitive the offers Burnes received from Baltimore and Toronto were, both clubs will now have to turn their attention to other options as they look to bolster their rotations. The Blue Jays’ priority is to try to extend an extension with the star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. that would keep him in town following the 2025 season, where he is currently scheduled to hit free agency. Beyond that, however, the club has expressed a desire for both to bolster their starting rotation while also bringing in a solid hitter who can help protect Guerrero in the lineup. On the replacement side, it is reported that the club has shown interest in playing on the right Nick Pivettabut another possibility for the team would be to focus on adding a bat Anthony Santander or Jurickson Profar then focus on low-level rotational signaling such as similarity Michael Lorenzen or Spencer Turnbull.
As for the Orioles, the club has already settled Tyler O’Neill again Gary Sanchez with its program earlier this winter and figures to focus more on replacing Burnes at the front of the rotation going forward. Meeting with Jack Flahertywho struggled with the club down the stretch in 2023 but looked much better with the Tigers and Dodgers this past season, has been tapped as a backup plan in the past. It is also not difficult to imagine the club choosing to explore the trade market, as they did when they first arrived at Burnes last winter. Padres right-hander Dylan Cease is available as a potential hire for Burnes’ acquisition last year to the T, but it’s possible the Orioles would like to land a controllable piece like the Mariners right-hander. Luis Castillowhich is reported to have joined a number of groups inquiring after this winter.
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