Corbin Burnes Landing Spots: 3 potential destinations for the former Cy Young Award winning pitcher
It's going to be a busy offseason for former Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes. Even though the four-time All-Star was extended a qualifying offer from the Baltimore Orioles, there is no doubt that Burnes is going to reject it to pursue a more lucrative contract on the open market.
If and when Burnes becomes an unrestricted free agent, he is going to be the most sought after pitcher on the open market. Even though there will be a number of star pitchers on the market, including Max Fried and Blake Snell, Burnes is arguably in a tier above them.
Last season, Burnes posted a 15-9 record with an impressive 2.92 ERA and 181 strikeouts over 194.1 innings for the Orioles. The 30-year-old pitcher has shown no signs of slowing down, which will only help him draw interest from contenders across the MLB this offseason.
Here's a look at 3 potential landing spots for Corbin Burnes in free agency
#1. New York Mets
The New York Mets might be the bane of the Yankees' existence this offseason as owner Steve Cohen and the front office are expected to flex their financial muscle in free agency. Aside for the reported Juan Soto interest, the Mets need to address their pitching rotation.
Not only was their pitching staff decent at best last season, but they could potentially lose Luis Severino, Sean Manaea and Jose Quintana in free agency. Enter Corbin Burnes, who would instantly becomes the team's ace for the foreseeable future. Thanks to the Mets' NLCS appearance, it could also help in negotiations as Burnes will be looking to play for a contender.
#2. New York Yankees
Even though the New York Yankees reached the World Series this season, they were far from a flawless squad. One area that the club is expected to bolster this offseason is its pitching rotation and Burnes will likely be at the top of that list.
While retaining Juan Soto is going to be the top priority for the Yankees, Burnes will likely be right there at the top of the list as well. It would be unsurprising to see the Yankees front office bring in Burnes to capitalize on their championship window.
#3. Baltimore Orioles
A return to the Baltimore Orioles cannot be ruled out. The O's have not historically been a team to hand out massive free agent contracts in comparison to the teams mentioned above. However, this is a new era of baseball in Baltimore. By bringing Corbin Burnes back into the fold, it would give new owner David Rubenstein a chance to prove that they are serious about contending.
The Orioles have an impressive young core in place with the likes of Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman. Now, they need to build up a championship roster around those key pieces. Burnes enjoyed a strong season with the Orioles, which could help them in discussions.