The Baltimore Orioles lost another star, but are they the mystery AL East team that made the ace a huge offer?
Now that Corbin Burnes is no longer with the Baltimore Orioles, the specifics of his new six-year, $210 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks are becoming clearer.
This includes information about other offers Burnes received from different teams.
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, one team proposed a significantly higher deal than what Burnes ultimately signed. While Nightengale didn’t identify the team, he reported that an AL East club offered Burnes a seven-year, $250 million contract without any opt-out clauses.
Could the Baltimore Orioles be the team in question? That remains uncertain, but Nightengale did mention that the Orioles were “aggressive” in their pursuit of Burnes. Given that Burnes resides in Arizona, the Diamondbacks’ offer allowed him to stay closer to home as he moves into the next phase of his career.
In terms of Burnes’ contract details, Nightengale revealed that he will earn $35 million annually over the six years. The deal also includes a full no-trade clause, but it only applies during the first two years.
The contract becomes more intriguing after 2026, when Burnes has an opt-out clause. Should he choose to exercise it, he would become a free agent again at 32. If he stays with the Diamondbacks, however, he will have a limited no-trade clause for the final four years, giving him the ability to block trades to 14 teams.
Nightengale didn’t specify which teams those are, but Burnes may have the option to name them later.
Burnes’ contract ranks as the second-largest free-agent deal for a starting pitcher this offseason, with Max Fried surpassing him with an eight-year, $218 million contract from the Yankees.
Burnes leaves the Orioles after an outstanding 2024 season in which he posted a 15-9 record with a 2.92 ERA, helping Baltimore reach the playoffs for the second consecutive year. Despite a rotation plagued by injuries, Burnes made every start, recording 181 strikeouts and 48 walks in 194.1 innings. He was also named the American League’s starting pitcher for the All-Star Game and finished fifth in AL Cy Young voting.
So far, the only free-agent pitcher the Orioles have signed is Tomoyuki Sugano, a 35-year-old who is considered one of Japan’s most accomplished pitchers. However, he is not regarded as an ace in MLB.
Without Burnes, the Orioles will now turn to a free-agent market that is largely stocked with second-tier options, including Jack Flaherty, a former Baltimore pitcher.
Burnes was acquired by the Orioles last offseason in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, where he spent his entire career and made his MLB debut in 2018.
