Four-Time All-Star Could Join Cubs for $247M, if Conditions Met
The Chicago Cubs need to make a change.
After four straight seasons without a playoff berth, the pressure is on the front office to meaningfully improve the roster to break that drought in 2025.
“Corbin Burnes was the ace pitcher that Baltimore Orioles fans have longed for,” Beaston wrote. “He was brilliant in 2024, an American League Cy Young Award contender and in his first (and only) playoff appearance, went seven innings and gave up just one run. Could it be one-and-done for Burnes with the Orioles, though?”
And now he’s free to test the market and is sure to field plenty of lucrative offers. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden projected that the righty will land a seven-year, $247 million deal to join his next team.
From Beaston’s point of view, that might be too rich for the Orioles and the Cubs would be the most likely team to swoop in, thanks to a previous connection with Burnes.
“Burnes had his greatest season, his 2021 Cy Young campaign, in Milwaukee under manager Craig Counsell,” Beaston added. “It fits, there is the previous history between the pitcher and his manager and it returns Burnes to the NL Central, a division he knows all too well. Prediction: Burnes joins the Cubs…if Baltimore cannot get a deal done.”
As they look to return to October baseball in Chicago, fans have reason to hope the Orioles fail to retain Burnes, as the Cubs might have the best chance of locking him up for the future in that case.
