Baltimore Orioles Predicted To Lose Free Agent Ace to Hated Division Rival

If the Baltimore Orioles lost their ace to this hated division rival it would certainly keep their fans up at night.

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The Baltimore Orioles have a big question looming over their entire free agency strategy and it just so happens that question revolves around the top pitcher on the market.

Corbin Burnes, who had another stellar season after being acquired via trade last winter by Baltimore from Milwaukee, is available and every team that desires starting pitching is after him.

While new ownership has provided hope there will be a serious effort from the Orioles to retain the 2021 National League Cy Young winner, David Rubenstein and company still have to show it.

Baltimore will give it a shot, but they are going to be bidding against contracts that will ultimately become staggeringly large. It feels more likely than not Burnes is going to end up playing elsewhere in 2025.

It would hurt the O's significantly less to see Burnes end up with a National League such as the Dodgers and the Mets.

Much to the chagrin of Orioles fans, Ryan Finkelstein of Just Baseball predicts a worst case scenario and Burnes ending up with the Red Sox on an eight-year, $232 million deal.

The Red Sox have similar issues to the Orioles. Boston also has a young pitching staff in need of an ace at the top. Unlike Baltimore, the Red Sox have a history of spending money in free agency.

"With Burnes, the Red Sox would have a veteran tone-setter in a rotation that includes plenty of rising young arms like Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, and Brayan Bello," Finkelstein wrote.

Coming off a great season and having just turned 30 years old, Burnes is showing no signs of slowing down. It's understandable why Burnes is going to be so highly sought after. Excluding the shortened 2020 season, Burnes has never made less than 28 starts in his seven-year career.

In 2024, Burnes put up a 2.92 ERA over 32 starts and 194.1 innings thrown with a WHIP of 1.096, one of the best seasons of his decorated career. He was named an All-Star for the fourth consecutive year and finished in the Top 10 in Cy Young voting for the fifth season in a row. Burnes has made his case as one of the best pitchers in baseball.

Having him sign with Boston and face him in nearly every series for the better part of the next decade would be a complete mess for the Orioles. If the number truly does get as high as Finkelstein predicts, it's hard to see Baltimore holding onto keeping Burnes.

The Orioles will just have to see how the market plays out and, if the contract clears what they are comfortable with, hope Burnes leaves the division rather than ending up with a hated rival.