San Francisco Giants Still Frontrunner to Sign Corbin Burnes, Insider Says
Though it has been a quiet last few days since the San Francisco Giants emerged as one of the strong contenders to land the most sought after pitcher on the market in Baltimore Orioles superstar ace Corbin Burnes, Giants fans don't need to start hitting the panic button yet.
The Giants are still seen as a strong contender to be able to land the 2021 National League Cy Young and get him to return to his home state of California even though the market is developing slowly. Perhaps they are even more than just a contender as well and are actually the favorite to land Burnes.
We know San Francisco is one of few remaining serious suitors after the Yankees and Dodgers both spent big on starting pitching. But according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Giants may just be the leaders in the clubhouse to eventually sign the ace.
"The link is real," Morosi said, adding that no deal is currently imminent. "But the Giants are viewed by many as one of the frontrunners and perhaps THE frontrunner to sign Corbin Burnes....Burnes and his representation are likely trying to go beyond the deal that Max Fried was able to sign in New York which would mean over $200 million...it would not surprise anyone in the industry if [the Giants] eventually sign Corbin Burnes."
By the sounds of it, Burnes is understandably taking his time and is no serious rush to sign a deal. Entering the offseason, he was seen as a more sought after commodity than both Blake Snell as well as Max Fried, but both lefties signed massive deals. Snell signed before the Winter Meetings began while Fried agreed to terms with New York right in the thick of the busiest week of the offseason.
Burnes appeared to be the next domino to imminently, but one week later, he still remains unsigned and doesn't seem to be anxious about it. As Morosi stated, he is understandably searching for more than Fried got — eight years and $218 million — as someone who is almost a year younger than Fried and really sports a more overall impressive resume.
San Francisco is putting on a full-court press to get Burnes, too. New Giants shortstop Willy Adames, who played with Burnes in Milwaukee, has already called him on the team's behalf, as has San Francisco's current ace, Logan Webb.
Don't count on Burnes to sign today or tomorrow as he still tries to get either the Giants or another suitor up to the number he desires, but by the sounds of it negotiations are ongoing and San Francisco still has a very good if not the best chance at signing the star.