Former Baltimore Orioles Ace Received Huge Offer from AL East Team: Report

The Baltimore Orioles lost Corbin Burnes, but are they the mystery AL East team that made the ace a huge offer?
Jul 30, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA;  Baltimore Orioles pitcher Corbin Burnes (39) delivers a first inning pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Jul 30, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Corbin Burnes (39) delivers a first inning pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
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Now that Corbin Burnes is no longer a Baltimore Oriole, the details of his new six-year, $210 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks are coming into focus.

That includes what other teams were willing to offer the 30-year-old right-hander.

Per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, there was one team that offered Burnes significantly more money than Burnes ultimately received.

He didn’t name the team, but he reported that an AL East team offered Burnes a seven-year, $250 million deal with no opt-out.

Are the Baltimore Orioles that mystery team? That may never be known. But, Nightengale did report that the O’s were “aggressive” in their pursuit of Burnes. With Burnes living in Arizona, the contract offered him the chance to be closer to home as he approaches the next stage of his career.

As for the details, Nightengale reported that Burnes will get $35 million for each of the six years of the contract. It also comes with a full no-trade clause — but only guaranteed for the first two years.

Why? Well this is where his contract gets interesting. After 2026 Burns has an opt-out. If he exercises the opt-out he can hit free agency again at 32 years old. If he stays in Arizona, he’ll have a limited no-trade clause for the final four years, which allows him to block trades to 14 teams.

Nightengale did not report those 14 teams, and it’s possible Burnes might designate those teams at a later date.

His deal is the second-highest free-agent deal for a starting pitcher this offseason, with Max Fried beating him on an eight-year, $218 million deal with the Yankees.

Burnes leaves the O’s after one great season, as he went 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA and helped Baltimore make the playoffs for the second straight year. With an injury-riddled rotation behind him, he took the ball every turn and had 181 strikeouts and 48 walks in 194.1 innings.

He was also named the starter for the American League in the All-Star Game and finished fifth in AL Cy Young voting.

To date, the only free-agent starter the Orioles have signed is pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano, one of the most accomplished pitchers in Japanese baseball history. But at 35 years old, he’s not seen as an ace at the MLB level.

Without him, the Orioles will have to set their attention on a free-agent market filled with second-tier options led by Jack Flaherty, a former Orioles pitcher.

Burnes joined Baltimore last offseason in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, where he stared his career and made his MLB debut in 2018.  


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Matthew Postins
MATTHEW POSTINS

Matthew Postins covers baseball for several SI/Fan Nation sites, including Inside the Orioles. He also covers the Big 12 for HeartlandCollegeSports.com and Rodeo for Rodeodaily.com.