Baltimore Orioles Ace Linked to Emerging National League Contender in Free Agency

One National League team is going to be a threat for the Baltimore Orioles to retain their ace.

Aug 10, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Corbin Burnes (39) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. / Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

One of the biggest storylines for the Baltimore Orioles heading into free agency is what they would do with ace, Corbin Burnes.

The former Cy Young Award winner lived up to expectations after the team acquired him in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers last offseason. He was excellent again, making 32 starts and going 15-9.

Burnes recorded a 2.92 ERA across 194.1 innings with 181 strikeouts. The dip in strikeouts after recording 200+ in three straight seasons raised some eyebrows, but he still got the job done whenever he stepped on the mound.

With pitching already being a need for the Orioles, they cannot afford to let Burnes leave in free agency. They will do everything in their power to bring him back to anchor their rotation.

Alas, his market is going to be a strong one.

Adding a player of his caliber would be an upgrade for virtually every team in baseball. But, there is one team is emerging as a legitimate threat to steal him away; the New York Mets.

As shared by Jorge Castillo of ESPN in their latest offseason buzz piece updating on free agency, trade rumors and more, he shared that they will be in on the bidding.

“With over $180 million coming off the books, the Mets will be looking at the top of the market. Besides Soto, Corbin Burnes, the top free agent pitcher this winter, is an expected target. The 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner played for Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns in Milwaukee. Add that there will be openings in the Mets' rotation -- Sean Manaea (player option), Luis Severino and Jose Quintana are all hitting free agency -- and Burnes makes sense in Queens,” the MLB insider wrote.

An owner willing to spend whatever it takes to upgrade his roster combined with a front office member that has history with Burnes is a bad combination for Baltimore. New York is a legitimate threat to poach him in free agency.

Another ESPN insider, Buster Olney, also mentioned the star pitcher as a target for the Mets, who could also show interest in Chicago White Sox lefty Garrett Crochet. They are in the perfect spot to upgrade their roster coming off a better than anticipated campaign and with a boatload of money being cleared off the salary.

New York was also named a best fit for him by ESPN's David Schoenfield in a piece discussing where the top free agents could land this offseason.

That is going to be tough for the Orioles to compete with. Should New York be successful in courting Juan Soto, what can they offer Burnes to convince him to stick around when an emerging contender with a seemingly endless supply of cash will be courting him as well?