Orioles All-Star could defect to rival for $300 million offer, per projection

The Baltimore Orioles made the postseason for the first time in seven years in 2023 and they’re hoping to build on that success with a deeper run this year.

Perhaps their biggest move toward doing so came before any games were even played, when they swung a blockbuster deal to add former Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes to the rotation.

Burnes has slumped a bit since pitching in his fourth career All-Star game, but he’s still played well enough to earn a hefty long-term contract as an impending free agent. Nearly every contender will be vying for his services, and Katie Manganelli of FanSided’s BoSox Injection projected that a monster offer from the Boston Red Sox could be enough to draw Burnes to a rival American League East team.

“If the Sox can get to Burnes before another club does this winter, an eight-year, $300 million deal could get him to Boston,” she predicted.

Burnes might yet be able to pitch himself into a bigger deal with a strong postseason run or he could raise some questions about his long-term value if his slump persists. But a long-term deal in excess of $250 million seems widely agreed upon as his value.

Zach Britton of The Athletic projected that Burnes could earn an eight-year, $260 million extension. Zachary Rymer of Bleacher Report put the figure at $288 million over eight years. So, it could be hard for him to turn down $300 million from the Red Sox.

Manganelli added that the team could be trending toward a major free agent acquisition and already has the kind of staff that could intrigue Burnes.

“(Red Sox executive) Craig Breslow will be fully settled into his new job and will hopefully have more resources to work with compared to last offseason,” she noted. “He also hopes to revamp Boston’s pitching program alongside new pitching coach, Andrew Bailey, and Burnes has previously stated that he’d like to serve as a mentor to a developing staff.”

Orioles fans might have a hard time watching Burnes pitch for a rival next season but building on last year’s success in Baltimore comes first.

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