Orioles Cy Young Ace Free Agent Sends Cryptic Dodgers Tweet After World Series

Could the Baltimore Orioles ace be headed to the West Coast?

Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles have the difficult misfortune this offseason of having the most sought after pitcher on the open market set to hit free agency in superstar ace and former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes.

Baltimore acquired Burnes last offseason from the Milwaukee Brewers with the knowledge that he was going to be a free agent after just one year with the team, but now that it's actually here the prospect of losing him would be a tough pill to swallow. Burnes did not do much to inspire hope that he would be returning to the Orioles as the Los Angeles Dodgers claimed the World Series on Wednesday night.

As the official MLB social media accounts were sharing images and videos celebrating the Dodgers triumph, Burnes weighed in with a cryptic tweet that made Baltimore fans worried that he may be bound to the West Coast:

👀👀👀 https://t.co/OGfd2T6bKH

— Corbin Burnes (@CorbinBurnes) October 31, 2024

Burnes is a California native from Bakersfield and played his college ball at Saint Mary's College of California. After spending his entire career in the Midwest and now the East Coast, it's not the craziest idea to think he might have a strong desire to return home to California and pitch for the team he grew up just two hours north of.

An All-Star the last four consecutive seasons, Burnes won the National League Cy Young in 2021 and is still putting up huge numbers. Not only is he the most coveted free agent pitcher this offseason, he's one of the best pithcers on the planet. With a contract looming that is well expected to creep into the $200 million range, the Orioles getting into a bidding war with a seemingly unlimited financial resource Los Angeles team is an uphill battle.

After giving up two solid prospects in return for Burnes in Joey Ortiz and DL Hall, letting him go after one season where the team did not even see any playoff success would be far from ideal. But if the Dodgers really want to throw their hat in the ring and make a competitive offer, Baltimore may not have much of a real chance at keeping him.