The Baltimore Orioles made one of the biggest splashes of last year’s offseason when they pulled off a trade for Corbin Burnes to become the ace of their starting rotation. Burnes, to his credit, was solid in his new Orioles digs, putting up a 2.92 ERA in 32 starts (194.1 innings) — playing his part even as Baltimore underperformed in the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
The Orioles made the trade even though they knew that Burnes was in the final year of his deal as they aimed to break through after winning the AL East in 2023 in dominant fashion. But now, after another short-lived playoff run, the bill is about to come due for the Orioles, as Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote that it’s very unlikely for them to emerge as the top bidder for someone whom many analysts believe is the best starting pitcher of this year’s free agency.
“In a perfect world, Baltimore would re-sign Burnes. But even under new ownership, it seems doubtful the Orioles will outbid the Soto also-rans, all of whom will be itching to spend,” Rosenthal wrote.
It has long been known that the Orioles franchise is one of the thriftiest in the MLB, and even though ownership of the team has changed hands, old habits seem to die hard for Baltimore. Trading for Burnes was always a huge risk, and now, they’re about to lose their ace, although at least, they should receive a compensation pick in the 30s in exchange.
Losing Burnes will be very painful for the Orioles to stomach, as they aren’t exactly in a position to replace him with anyone comparable due to their budgetary restrictions.
How do the Orioles proceed from here?
With Corbin Burnes’ departure looking more and more likely, Rosenthal wrote that the Orioles could be looking to add two starting pitchers that could command contracts with an average annual value of around $10 million. But even that is unlikely given how competitive the market is for quality starters.
If the Orioles were to make a splash, Nathan Eovaldi and Jack Flaherty could be worthwhile targets. Eovaldi and Flaherty wouldn’t cost Baltimore draft compensation since they were not tied to a qualifying offer, and this could go a long way towards piquing the Orioles’ interest. But in terms of financial might, the Orioles can hardly compare to other teams.
Thus, if the Orioles were to go all-out in replacing Burnes, another trade could be in the works, although this time, targeting a pitcher who’s under team control for multiple more years could be the move.
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