All-Star pitcher Corbin Burnes has a new home, officially leaving a massive hole atop the Orioles’ rotation in the process.
The 30-year-old right-hander has agreed to a six-year, $210 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to multiple outlets. The deal includes an opt-out after the 2026 season.
With Burnes being an Arizona resident, many projected him to land with a West Coast team at the start of the offseason, but it remains unclear just how hard general manager Mike Elias and club owner David Rubenstein pushed to re-sign their ace, who went 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA in 32 starts covering 194 1/3 innings this past season. Many figured Burnes would likely move on after his lone season with Baltimore, but the free-agent options to replace him have dried up as the calendar is about to turn to 2025 and the start of spring training is less than seven weeks away.
And while some noted Burnes’ strikeout rate declining for a third consecutive season since his sensational 2021 NL Cy Young Award campaign as reason to take pause over committing to a six- or seven-year deal, similar logic applies to most elite free-agent starters and won’t do anything to help Baltimore’s rotation compete in the AL East.
Yes, it’s been a disappointing offseason to date for the Orioles, whose most notable moves have been signing right-handed outfielder Tyler O’Neill to a three-year, $49.5 million deal — which includes an opt-out after one season — and 35-year-old Japanese right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano to a one-year, $13 million contract. Both additions have merit on their own, but the perceived replacements — until proven otherwise — for All-Star outfielder Anthony Santander and Burnes do not speak well for Baltimore’s chances of improving upon a 91-71 record and a first-round playoff sweep last season.
The most notable free-agent starters remaining on the market include Jack Flaherty, Nick Pivetta, and future Hall of Famers — and 40-somethings — Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. Of course, the 29-year-old Flaherty fared poorly after being acquired by the Orioles at the 2023 trade deadline and ultimately finished that season in Baltimore’s bullpen.
With Burnes officially off the market, trade speculation will only increase since that was the means by which Elias acquired the No. 1 starter last winter. It was nearly 11 months ago that the Orioles sent left-hander DL Hall and infielder Joey Ortiz to Milwaukee for one season of Burnes, who pitched as well as anyone could have reasonably expected in a contract year. That included eight innings of one-run ball in the 1-0 loss to Kansas City in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series.
The 2025 Baltimore rotation currently projects to include right-handers Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez, Dean Kremer, and Sugano. Options for the fifth spot include 35-year-old right-hander Albert Suarez and left-handers Trevor Rogers and Cade Povich. Still recovering from their respective elbow surgeries, right-handers Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells won’t be potential options until later in 2025.
That’s not a rotation that screams being a serious contender, leaving Elias with much work to do between now and the start of spring training.
