Inside The Mets

Mets' Playoff Foe Could Have 'An Edge' in Corbin Burnes Sweepstakes

The New York Mets can't compete with baseball's best team in one aspect of signing Corbin Burnes.

Grant Young

Sep 8, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Corbin Burnes (39) looks on during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
Sep 8, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Corbin Burnes (39) looks on during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
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It's no secret that the New York Mets are among the favorites to sign former Baltimore Orioles ace and 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes in free agency this offseason.

However, given that Burnes is widely considered the top starting pitcher available in free agency, New York will have plenty of competition in signing him.

And in a November 15 article, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand conveyed a unique "edge" the Los Angeles Dodgers have over the Mets in bringing Burnes to Southern California.

"At first glance, the Dodgers wouldn’t seem to be a club in the market for an ace, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani penciled in as the top three in Los Angeles’ rotation," Feinsand wrote.

"But Glasnow has had trouble staying healthy and Ohtani will be returning from a second Tommy John surgery (not to mention surgery on his non-throwing shoulder this offseason), and the Dodgers could face the loss of Walker Buehler and Jack Flaherty to free agency, so adding a horse at the top of the rotation might be in order.

"The fact that Burnes hails from Bakersfield -- located 110 miles north of Dodger Stadium -- could give Los Angeles an edge in its recruitment," he added.

The Dodgers' staggering amount of starting pitcher injuries last season could be enough for them to become major players for Burnes, who has been extremely durable across the past four seasons.

And as Feinsand alluded to, the defending World Series champions could play the hometown angle to try and convince Burnes to return to Southern California.

However, here's some good news for the Mets: Burnes was a Los Angeles Angels fan growing up instead of the Dodgers.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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