Corbin Burnes is the best starting pitcher available in MLB free agency now, generating interest from a number of teams in both the National League and American League. Now, days after Max Fried signed with the New York Yankees, a front-runner seems to be emerging for Burnes.
Burnes, age 30, won the NL Cy Young Award in 2021 and is a four-time All-Star selection. After spending the majority of his career with the Milwaukee Brewers, the right-handed pitcher was traded to the Baltimore Orioles last offseason. He’s now poised to land one of the biggest contracts in MLB history for a pitcher.
- Corbin Burnes stats (ESPN): 2.92 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 15-9 record, 181 strikeouts in 194.1 innings
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Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported on Saturday that the Giants are potentially the “leading possibility” to sign Burnes. While he is still drawing interest from the Orioles, Rosenthal’s report backs previous information from Mark Feinsand of MLB.com that the Toronto Blue Jays and Giants are two of the most aggressive teams.
However, while Feinsand’s sources wreak havoc on “skeptical” of San Francisco signing Burnes following the Willy Adames contract ($182 million over seven years), Rosenthal’s sources seem to be more optimistic that Burnes could be added to the Giants rotation.
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- Corbin Burnes FanGraphs stats: 23.1 percent strikeout rate, 6.1 percent walk rate, 17 percent K-BB rate, .225 batting average allowed, 1.10 WHIP allowed, 12.9 percent Swinging Strike rate
San Francisco wanted to re-sign Blake Snell, who was one of the best pitchers in baseball after two stints on the injured list, but the Los Angeles Dodgers signed him to a five-year deal worth $182 million. Now, the Giants are pivoting to another Cy Young Award winner who many viewed as the top starting pitcher available in MLB free agency this winter.
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If Burnes, who grew up in Bakersfield, California, signs with the Giants, he would plug in as the No. 1 starter with Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and Kyle Harrison behind him. Paired with the addition of Adames to the Giants lineup, San Francisco would at least have a chance at its first season with a winning record since 2021 and only its second since 2017.