Cubs ‘must sign’ projected $255 million four-time All-Star, per report

The Chicago Cubs have a long way to go toward World Series contention.

After missing the playoffs for the fourth-consecutive season, it seems like it would take a slew of blockbuster moves to turn the roster into a true championship contender again. And, projecting the players that the Cubs “must sign to win the 2025 World Series” for FanSided, Zach Pressnell listed four-time All-Star ace Corbin Burnes as one such signing.

“If they want to acquire a pitcher, they might as well go after the best starter on the market, Corbin Burnes,” Pressnell noted. “Burnes is set to become a free agent following a Cy Young-caliber season, though he will fall short in the voting thanks to Tarik Skubal’s special year. Burnes was truly incredible, posting a 2.92 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 8.4 K/9 on the season.”

Burnes can add a stellar 2024 campaign to his long list of accomplishments. In addition to his many All-Star nods, he holds a Cy Young Award from 2021 and a career 3.19 ERA and 1,051 total strikeouts in 138 starts. He has made at least 28 starts in each of the last four seasons.

As such, he’s widely considered to be the best arm on the market and will earn a major long-term contract in his next home. Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report projected his next deal to be in the seven-year, $255.5 million range.

Spending that much money on Burnes might make it hard for the Cubs to afford the other “must sign” players on Pressnell’s list, which includes Cody Bellinger and Pete Alonso. But pairing Burnes with star pitcher Shota Imanaga would make the Cubs’ starting rotation a formidable strength — something that can separate the best teams come playoff time.

“There’s no world where the Cubs can land all three players on this list, but if they miss on the top two guys, adding Burnes to the rotation would definitely be in their price range,” Pressnell added.

More MLB: Dodgers named ‘best’ landing spot for projected $140 million two-time All-Star