Baltimore Orioles May Target Cost-Effective Ace Over Corbin Burnes

A lot would have to play out, but the Japanese star would be a perfect addition to the Baltimore Orioles.

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

Around the world, there aren't many pitchers in baseball better than Corbin Burnes. The Baltimore Orioles were fortunate to land the ace last offseason in a blockbuster deal, but all good things could eventually end.

Sadly, that reality looks like it could be just a year after the Orioles traded for Burnes, leaving them in an even worse position than they were in last winter.

There aren't many ways to replace him if he departs for a different club in free agency, but there's one potential option who could do as such.

That's Roki Sasaki, a right-hander out of Japan who might be posted. It remains uncertain if Sasaki will be posted due to international rules. Still, if his Chiba Lotte Marines squad is willing to do so, he'd be a free agent in Major League Baseball this winter.

Sasaki is as good as it gets. Saying he's better than Burnes might be a stretch, but there's a reason evaluators view him as a legitimate star who could be the best arm in baseball eventually.

Factor in that he could only be signed for up to $7 million due to international rules, and Baltimore would have their replacement if Burnes left.

The two were linked on Monday by Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. The expert analyst named them a fit for his services if he's posted.

"Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s move to the Majors caused a bidding war last offseason, and while the potential of Sasaki coming over from Japan would carry the same excitement factor, his age would prevent a similar free-agent frenzy. Players younger than 25 years old who have not reached six years of service in a foreign major league are subject to MLB's international amateur signing bonus pool rules, setting a cap on their contracts. Shohei Ohtani faced a similar situation in 2017, signing with the Angels for $2.315 million. Sasaki, who has a 1.95 ERA over his first four seasons in Japan, would become one of the top available starters if he were posted."

Diving into the numbers, Sasaki is essentially unhittable. He's posted a 2.02 ERA throughout his young professional career, which started when he was 19 years old.

If he hits the market, every team is expected to make a call. However, not many would be in as good a position as the Orioles to land him.

He'd be the perfect addition, but until he's posted, they can't bank on being able to pursue him.