Baltimore Orioles Should Worry Mets Will Aggressively Pursue Their Star

Will the New York Mets go after the Baltimore Orioles ace in free agency?

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

The Baltimore Orioles are heading into an important offseason, in which they will be looking to retain some key players and keep building upon what the franchise has been doing in recent years. 

It was another strong regular season for the Orioles in 2024, as they won over 90 games and were able to reach the playoffs for the second straight year. However, it was another quick exit for Baltimore, as they were swept by the Kansas City Royals. 

Despite the success they had in the regular season, the Orioles have yet to be able to find their groove in the playoffs. 

This past winter, they made a headlining move to acquire Corbin Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers with the hopes of him being the missing piece to get them over the hump. While Burnes was very good for Baltimore, especially in his October start, he wasn’t enough for them to get to the next round.

When the Orioles made the deal to acquire the talented right-hander, they knew he would be hitting free agency this winter. After another strong season, Burnes is arguably the best starting pitcher on the market and will have a long list of suitors.

While Baltimore could in the mix to bring him back, they should also be worried about the New York Mets as their main competition. 

2024 was an excellent year for the Mets, as despite entering the season with rebuilding mindset led by a new front office, New York made it to the National League Championship Series. 

Despite the success, the Mets are going to look like a very different team next season as they look to be aggressive and build a roster full of star players.

With money coming off the books, the deep pockets of owner Steve Cohen, and a need for starting pitching, New York is going to be a real threat to land the Orioles ace. 

Even though the Mets were superb in 2024, they didn’t have a pitcher anywhere near the abilities of Burnes. Since the rotation will surely look different, adding a true ace to their staff would really help an already very good team in New York. 

For Baltimore, they had better be prepared to either match or exceed what will likely be a massive offer from the Mets, or they will be going back to the drawing board when searching for who can get them over the hump in the playoffs.