Corbin Burnes Signs With Baltimore Orioles AL East Rival in Latest Prediction

The Baltimore Orioles losing Corbin Burnes to a team in their division would be a tough pill to swallow.

Sep 26, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Corbin Burnes (39) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The American League East is expected to spend heavily this winter. The Baltimore Orioles will have to match some of the teams in their division, but typically, others have spent much more.

While the Orioles need as much help as possible, there's reason for optimism. If anything, they have the most young talent in the division, which should help them sign free agents, too.

Given some of their top players are still on cheap deals due to recently debuting, it's time for Baltimore to take advantage of that. This will be the most money they'll have to spend for the next few winters.

The first order of business should be keeping Corbin Burnes around. An ace-caliber arm doesn't grow on trees, and the Orioles understand that.

However, regarding the other top teams in the American League East, Baltimore will have competition for him.

The Boston Red Sox are viewed as a real suitor for the right-hander. The Red Sox had a brutal campaign in 2024 but are looking to spend heavily and win.

While they weren't expected to be World Series contenders coming into the year, they played much worse than most expected.

With the plan to spend as much money as possible, the Orioles could get outbid, as Boston simply has more money than Baltimore.

That's why Burnes has been linked to most contending teams around Major League Baseball besides the Orioles.

Will Laws of Sports Illustrated was the latest to do so, predicting that Burnes would depart from Baltimore to join the Red Sox.

"Burnes isn’t quite the analytics darling he was when he took home the 2021 NL Cy Young Award with an MLB-best strikeout rate that’s since steadily declined to being roughly league average. But he still ranks second among starting pitchers in fWAR over the last four seasons (behind only Zack Wheeler) and will have contenders falling over themselves to sign him and stick him at the front of their playoff rotation."

Burnes leaving for Boston would be a blow in every which way. Not only would the Orioles have to find a replacement for him, which is unlikely, but they'd have to face him multiple times a season.

There's a serious chance that if he were to join the Red Sox, Baltimore would potentially miss the playoffs. That should only add to his price, which will be a bidding war.

If the Orioles are serious about winning, the Cy Young Award winner will be in orange next spring.

If not, Boston could be his new home.