Baltimore Orioles Ace Predicted To Sign ‘Hefty’ Deal in MLB Free Agency

The Baltimore Orioles will soon make a decision on their ace returning to the team.

Oct 1, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Corbin Burnes (39) throws a pitch in the second inning against the Kansas City Royals in game one of the Wild Card round for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

It's only a matter of time before the Baltimore Orioles face the reality of giving Corbin Burnes a massive contract or losing him for nothing in the winter.

It'd be tough to see the right-hander go, as he again proved throughout the campaign to be one of the top arms in Major League Baseball. It's been five straight years of him dominating at the highest level, which is a very good indication of him being as elite as he is.

At this stage, there aren't any questions about the California native producing.

However, there are many questions about the potential contract he could earn. Some have suggested he could be in the $250 million mark, while others believe that $300 million isn't out of the picture. 

If Burnes were to land that type of money, there still isn't a reason for the Orioles not to bring him back. Baltimore has been cheap for much of its existence, which doesn't help in a scenario like this.

However, it's also fair to note that it wouldn't have made sense to trade for him last offseason if they didn't believe they could bring him back this winter. 

Only time will tell what they decide to do, but losing him because of money would be disappointing. 

Eli Ben-Porat of Baseball America also believes he's in for a "hefty" deal, adding more intrigue on the Orioles potentially getting a deal done. 

"While no pitcher is immune to injury risk, Burnes represents the ideal front-of-the-rotation starter in almost every aspect. He throws his primary pitch, a hard cutter, with excellent velocity, averaging 95 mph. More importantly, it’s a very good pitch by results and pure stuff, preventing roughly 1.4 runs per 100 pitches more than an average pitch. When your primary pitch is that good, you’re going to be able to throw a lot of high quality innings... Burnes is about as close as it gets to the ideal pitcher, and he looks likely to land himself a hefty contract."

During the campaign, the soon-to-be 30-year-old posted a 2.92 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and struck out 181 hitters in 194 1/3 innings pitched. His strikeout numbers were a bit down compared to prior showings, but that was due to a couple of rough outings after the All-Star break.

He looks all but guaranteed to finish second in the AL Cy Young Award voting, which would give him five straight seasons finishing in the top 10.

That's the type of pitcher this ownership group should be willing to spend money on.