Orioles Make Big Move: Batilmore Targets Former Cy Young Winner for…
Baltimore Orioles fans may have seen the last of Corbin Burnes in the orange and black. However, even if the team loses its 2024 staff ace, there are multiple options available to replace the 2021 Cy Young Award winner this winter.
The MLB Trade Rumors panel of Anthony Franco, Tim Dierkes, Darragh McDonald, and Steve Adams predicts that not only will the Orioles land Yusei Kikuchi on the free agent market but that the team will also sign 2020 Cy Young recipient Shane Bieber on a one-year, $12 million pact this offseason.
However, any play for Bieber comes with the caveat that the two-time All-Star is currently damaged goods. The 29-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery last April and likely will not be able to take the mound until early-to-mid summer of this upcoming season.
MLBTR predicts Bieber will sign merely a one-year, $12 million deal to showcase his hoped-for health next season before hitting the free agent market in search of a much larger deal before 2026.
For a team clearly in “win now” mode and playing in the ultra-competitive American League East division, taking a flier on signing Kikuchi and Bieber while saving millions rather than ponying up for Burnes, who has a six-year, $180.8 million market value, according to Spotrac, is risky.
However, if the Orioles are able to use the savings and use it to fix the back end of their beleaguered bullpen, it just might be worth it.
