A new report from a Baltimore Orioles reporter surprisingly claims they are not the favorite to re-sign ace Corbin Burnes in MLB free agency this winter.
It has been a frustrating last few weeks for the Orioles. After ending August with one of the best records in baseball, injuries and slumps have dropped Baltimore out of the American League East lead. At this point, they are likely to get the top Wild Card seed in 2024.
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It is not the result the O’s wanted but they are still on pace to win over 90 games and an important part of that success has been ace Corbin Burnes. The four-time All-Star has been everything Baltimore hoped for after landing the Brewers star in the offseason. However, he is not a lock to be back next season and beyond.
Burnes is having another All-Star season just in time for a jump into MLB free agency in November. Yet, unlike this time last year, there is a lot of optimism that the Baltimore Orioles can retain the pitcher since billionaire David Rubenstein now owns the team. But this week, MLB.com Orioles reporter Jake Rill poured some cold water on that idea.
Corbin Burnes stats (2024): 14-8 Record, 3.06 ERA, 1.119 WHIP, 164 SO, 44 BB, 182.1 IP
Baltimore Orioles reporter makes case for moving on from Corbin Burnes this winter
“From an Orioles perspective, again, I don’t know exactly how much Rubenstein’s O’s will be willing to spend,” Rill said. “But if in any scenario they get into a bidding war with Cohen’s Mets, I don’t envision it going in Baltimore’s favor. That’s the biggest reason why I feel the Mets are a clear front-runner over the Orioles in this conversation. We know what Cohen has the potential to do; we don’t know that about Rubenstein.
Rill also made an interesting point in the round-table article of MLB reporters by explaining why the team’s management may feel that money needs to be allocated elsewhere.
“I’m not sure a seven- or eight-year deal for Burnes is how [Orioles General Manager Mike] Elias will want to allocate those funds. They’re going to need to sign their young superstars (Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, etc.) to extensions at some point. They also will need to pay up to keep Anthony Santander, if they hope to do so.
‘I think they already feel confident in the rotation mix for next year, with Zach Eflin and Grayson Rodriguez leading the charge and Kyle Bradish ideally returning in the second half. They have other solid options and can explore the mid-tier free-agent market and potential trades for a boost.”
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