MLB Insider: Baltimore Orioles Free-Agent Ace Pursued by AL East Rival

The possibility of the Baltimore Orioles losing their superstar ace to one of their biggest rivals is starting to seem like a potential reality.

Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles head into the offseason with the free agency looming for their biggest star who will be one of the most sought after players on the market this winter.

National League Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes was acquired by Baltimore last offseason via a trade from the Milwaukee Brewers and after another huge season he is the prize of the pitching market as he explore free agency for the first time.

While new ownership in Baltimore, led by David Rubenstein, been open about the fact they are trying to raise payroll, it's going to be a whole lot easier said than done. The Orioles likely already knew this when they made the trade last year. Now the bill has come due.

If Burnes does in fact leave Baltimore — something that feels more likely than not — there are obviously certain teams who would sting more than others. One that sits at the top of the list of doomsday scenarios in Burnes' free agency is the Boston Red Sox, and it's starting to sound like the noise connecting Burnes and Boston is very real.

"The Red Sox are also in on Blake Snell, Max Fried and Corbin Burnes," Jon Heyman of the New York Post said last week.

For a Red Sox team that has struggled to find a true alpha at the top of their rotation for years, making a massive splash in the pitching market feels more like a when than an if.

With Burnes having just turned 30 years old along with no significant injury history, he could prove to be the perfect fit to finally bring an ace back to Fenway Park.

Much to the chagrin of Orioles fans, Burnes actually feels like an ideal fit for the Red Sox as they look to get back to contending for titles and spending money like the big market team they are.

Simply put though, this would be an absolute nightmare for Baltimore if it actually came to fruition. Not only would they lose their ace, they would have to face him almost every time they square off against each other in AL East action. It's hard to avoid a pitcher when teams play each other 14 times a year.

If there's a reason to open up the war chest, besides simply retaining one of the best pitchers in baseball, it's keeping him away from Boston.