Fastball

Arizona Diamondbacks Join Rare Baseball History with Corbin Burnes Contract

Burnes isn't the first $200 million contract that the D'Backs have given out to a pitcher.

Brady Farkas

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Corbin Burnes (39) is greeted by catcher Adley Rutschman (35) at the end of the second inning against the Texas Rangers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 27.
Baltimore Orioles pitcher Corbin Burnes (39) is greeted by catcher Adley Rutschman (35) at the end of the second inning against the Texas Rangers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 27. / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images
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Earlier this week, the Arizona Diamondbacks pulled the surprise of the MLB offseason, signing ace pitcher Corbin Burnes to a six-year deal.

Burnes reportedly had bigger offers from the Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants, but elected to stay home in Arizona. The D'Backs hadn't been connected to Burnes at any point in the offseason, at least publicly.

In giving Burnes the $210 million deal, the D'Backs joined a rare group in baseball history. Per @JayHayKid of Underdog Fantasy:

The D-Backs are the 4th team in baseball history to issue multiple $200M+ contracts to pitchers:

Yankees: Cole/Fried
Dodgers: Yamamoto/Kershaw
Nationals: Strasburg/Scherzer
D-Backs: Burnes/Greinke

The Diamondbacks signed Zack Greinke to a six-year deal worth $206.5 million back in 2015.

As for Burnes, he went 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA this past season for the Orioles. A four-time All-Star and a former Cy Young winner, he's spent six years with the Brewers and one year with Baltimore.

Burnes will now pair with Zac Gallen to give the Diamondbacks an extremely formidable 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation. If Jordan Montgomery rights his season after a disappointing 2024, the D'Backs could end up with an excellent top three that could challenge the Dodgers and Padres in a loaded National League West.

Beyond Juan Soto, Burnes was arguably the top free agent in this year's class. Fellow pitchers Blake Snell (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Max Fried (New York Yankees) also signed mega deals. Roki Sasaki, the 23-year-old Japanese phenom, is the next big domino to fall.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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