It was expected when the Orioles acquired Corbin Burnes in February that 2024 would be his lone season in Baltimore.
That assumption became reality earl Saturday morning when Burnes reportedly agreed to a six-year, $210 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
While the Orioles do have deeper pockets with David Rubenstein at the helm, it was an uphill battle for them with larger market teams in the hunt for Burnes, the best starting pitcher on the market. A West Coast team signing Burnes also isn’t a surprise given the 30-year-old right-hander lives in Arizona and grew up in California.
Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias traded prospects Joey Ortiz and DL Hall to the Milwaukee Brewers for Burnes, hoping the ace would put Baltimore over the top. That didn’t happen, but not because of Burnes, who “more than held up his end of the bargain,” Elias said during his end-of-season news conference. Burnes won 15 games and posted a 2.92 ERA to finish fifth in American League Cy Young Award voting.
The Orioles are still in the market for a starting pitcher, and there are few if any aces remaining in the free agent market. If Baltimore doesn’t bring in an ace, right-handers Grayson Rodriguez and Zach Eflin would be atop the Orioles’ rotation until Kyle Bradish can return from Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery.
The Orioles will receive a compensatory pick in the 2025 draft because they extended the qualifying offer to Burnes, who denied it as expected. The draft selection is expected to be after the first round, somewhere likely in the low 30s. Baltimore could also receive a compensatory pick if Santander signs elsewhere this offseason.
MLB Network insider Jon Heyman was first to report Burnes’ contract.
This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Calvin Meyer at [email protected], 410-332-6200 and x.com/JCalvinMeyer.
