Baltimore Orioles Still in Mix for Corbin Burnes but Face Expanding Market

The Baltimore Orioles are still listed as suitors for Corbin Burnes, but his market continues to expand.

Mar 28, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Corbin Burnes (39) delivers in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles entered the MLB offseason with two prominent free agents; All-Star right fielder Anthony Santander and ace starting pitcher Corbin Burnes.

Based on their moves thus far this offseason, it seems as if Santander is going to be on the move. The writing has been on the wall since the Orioles agreed to a deal with Tyler O’Neill. 

There are also a lot of teams in the market for corner outfield help, despite Santander’s market currently being ice-cold.

As for Burnes, he is someone that Baltimore does not have a replacement for.

Pitching was a need coming into the offseason before even taking into consideration that he could leave. And, top-of-the-rotation options are beginning to dwindle with Blake Snell and Max Fried already off the board.

Garrett Crochet, who the Orioles were connected to, landed with their bitter rivals, the Boston Red Sox, in a blockbuster trade.

A few intriguing options are remaining on the open market. Jack Flaherty and Sean Manaea are the best of the second-tier starters. If they opt to go the trade route, Luis Castillo of the Seattle Mariners and Dylan Cease of the San Diego Padres have been mentioned the most.

Adding any of those players would be a must if Burnes were to leave, as Baltimore doesn’t have the pitching staff currently to compete with other contenders in the American League.

While a lot of reports have stated that their ace isn’t going to be returning, Jeff Passan of ESPN has still listed them as a suitor, but the market for him is continuing to expand as the offseason moves along.

“Burnes' suitors include the Giants, Blue Jays and Orioles, and because of his bona fides -- four All-Star appearances, a Cy Young Award and the second-best ERA in MLB over the past half-decade at 2.88 -- ruling out others engaging would be premature,” wrote the MLB insider.

There are several teams with payroll flexibility that Passan mentioned that could use starting pitching help. The New York Mets and Detroit Tigers are two teams to keep an eye on in addition to the three teams mentioned.

They weren’t mentioned by the ESPN insider, but the Washington Nationals are another team to watch as they could use an experienced anchor for their rotation. Expected to make a splash this offseason, they continue to bide their time and wait for the perfect moment to jump into the fray.

Baltimore knew that they would face competition for their star pitcher, but the price is going to be high. Given how much money other pitchers have made on the open market, the number to land Burnes is on the rise.

It is expected that he will surpass the $218 million that Fried landed from the New York Yankees.