Los Angeles Dodgers Again Linked to Baltimore Orioles Biggest Free Agent

The Los Angeles Dodgers have more than enough money to steal the Baltimore Orioles ace.

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 Baltimore Orioles will have tough competition for Corbin Burnes this winter, as every contending team in Major League Baseball with money will likely make a call to his agent. 

There's a reason why some around the industry believe Burnes could be looking at a $250 to $300 million deal, and that's due to him arguably being the best pitcher in the sport. 

At points throughout the season for the Orioles, he looked like the top arm in baseball. However, there were times, such as his five to seven starts after the All-Star break, when he didn't look as dominant as he once was. 

That shouldn't be much of an issue for Baltimore or any other team interested in signing him. At every point throughout the year, pitchers just don't have the same stuff they typically do.

That shouldn't be too worrisome, considering Burnes has five straight seasons of being among the elite of the elite. 

Despite some of his shortcomings in a few of his starts, there's a good chance he'll finish second in AL Cy Young voting. He also had another campaign in which he posted an ERA below 3.00. 

With all of that in mind, it's easy to see why the Orioles losing him could be the worst possible scenario in the offseason.

Nonetheless, it's something the front office has to be prepared for.

Regarding the teams that should be interested in him, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report believes the Los Angeles Dodgers are one of them. 

"Though he's remained effective, Burnes has gotten a little less overpowering on an annual basis over the last three years. He failed to reach even one strikeout per inning this year, and he served up a career-high 37 barrels. But is this a stuff problem? Or is it a style choice? It certainly isn't the former, as the overall quality of Burnes' stuff remains elite... The picture is not that of a devolving pitcher, but rather of an evolving one. And as long as the results are there, well, why complain?Teams in need of an ace certainly won't be. They'll be too busy trying to woo Burnes, with the end result likely to be a deal that comes close to comes close to matching the $300-plus million guarantees of Gerrit Cole and Yoshinobu Yamamoto."

There isn't any benefit to losing the right-hander, but at the very least, if he were to sign with the Dodgers, he'd be out of the American League.

It's uncertain how much Los Angeles plans to spend this offseason, but as they've shown in recent years, they typically aren't afraid to hand over big deals.

That certainly doesn't help a team like Baltimore, a ball club that's been cheap for much of its existence.