Report: Orioles Targeting Top Braves Pitcher as Burnes Replacement
The Baltimore Orioles are in a position where they need to spend some money this offseason. Right-hander Corbin Burnes is a free agent and there are no guarantees he will return.
As such, they will need to either sign or trade for a top-level starting pitcher. That could be Burnes, but if he walks, they’ll need to look elsewhere.
“The O’s will have a ton of competition in their pursuit to re-sign ace Corbin Burnes, and if they are unable to bring him back, they will need to move quickly to find a suitable replacement to anchor the staff,” Reuter wrote. “Max Fried, Blake Snell, Jack Flaherty, Sean Manaea and Nathan Eovaldi are among the other top-of-the-rotation-caliber arms on the market.”
The veteran left-hander obviously won’t come cheap, but it’s important to remember that the Orioles are under new ownership, and David Rubenstein might be more willing to spend big money than his predecessor, John Angelos was.
Fried has been linked to the Orioles numerous times already this offseason, and he would certainly give their staff a boost. He’s a proven big-game pitcher, having started and won the clinching game of the 2021 World Series for the Braves.
It will be interesting to see how the left-hander’s market develops.
