Baltimore Orioles Ace Corbin Burnes Predicted To Leave for AL East Franchise

The Baltimore Orioles have been predicted to lose Corbin Burnes to the Boston Red Sox in MLB free agency.

Sep 20, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Corbin Burnes (39) throws a first inning pitch against the Detroit Tigers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles are still in communication with right-hander Corbin Burnes, but given he hasn't re-signed with the ball club, it looks like he could be headed to a different team this winter.

Losing Burnes again would be the Orioles' worst nightmare, but if the front office isn't willing to give him the money he's looking for, it's tough to blame the California native. 

There are multiple reasons why losing Burnes isn't ideal. Not only would Baltimore need to find its next ace, but there's a good chance he could end up back in the American League East with a different team.

The Orioles would then have to find another starter who could remotely do what he does, and they'd also have to face him multiple times in a year, which could be why they either miss the playoffs or get knocked out.

However, that seems to be a real possibility. Michael Brakebill of FanSided predicted that to be the case, listing the Boston Red Sox as the team that will sign the former Cy Young Award winner. 

"Last, we come to Corbin Burnes, the biggest fish among starting pitchers still on the market. The Boston Red Sox come to mind because they have shown the aggressiveness needed to compete in 2025 and beyond. They went all-in for Juan Soto, missed, and followed that up with a blockbuster trade of ace Garrett Crochet. I predict they will sign Burnes because they haven't spent big free-agent dollars yet."

The Red Sox loom large in most free agency projections with the top players still on the market.

All indications point to them remaining heavily interested in some of the best players on the market, and while they've done things already, Boston is still looking to improve its roster. They already stole one of Baltimore's top trade targets in Garrett Crochet, making a loss of Burnes to the Red Sox even worse.

By adding Burnes, the Red Sox could put him at the head of the rotation with Crochet, which would augment the top two returning starters in Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford. It would form one of the best rotations in the game, even before Boston gets to a fifth starter.

The Orioles have a lot of work to do, and instead of the front office being aggressive, it seems like they're being cheap again — at least when it comes to pitching. That's a major problem and something that eventually has to be addressed.

They could look to trade for another starter, but if they aren't willing to pay said pitcher in the future, finding stability may become a big problem.