Free Agency Bombshell: $217 Million Star Tipped to Ditch…

Disappointment is a new feeling for the Baltimore Orioles, and it’s not a comfortable one.

All those years of last-place finishes didn’t count, because the Orioles didn’t have any realistic expectations of contending for a playoff spot. But in 2024, the Orioles were widely picked as favorites to take home the American League East crown, and they fell apart when it counted.

Not only did the Orioles fail to win the East, but they crumbled after the All-Star break and got eliminated from the postseason in just two games. And it hurts all the more knowing that it may have been the only year they’d ever have with their newest ace starting pitcher.

Corbin Burnes, who is now a free agent, was fantastic in Baltimore this year, pitching to a 15-9 record with a 2.92 ERA while making his fourth-straight All-Star team. The Orioles would love to keep him, but he falls well outside of their usual price range.

Josh Goldberg of The Score had a shocking prediction for where Burnes would wind up instead. He proclaimed that the Los Angeles Angels would sign Burnes this winter, after proving early on that they would be active by signing Yusei Kikuchi and trading for Jorge Soler.

“Coming off another strong campaign with the Orioles, Corbin Burnes is one of baseball’s most dependable starting pitchers,” Goldberg said. “Angels general manager Perry Minasian said the club plans to be aggressive heading into 2025, and the team adding Burnes to a rotation that finished 28th in ERA last season would be a massive coup”

“Considering Burnes grew up in California, Minasian and the Angels find a way to get it done, landing the right-hander on a seven-year, $210-million contract.”

There are plenty of big-market teams the Orioles anticipated would challenge them for Burnes, but the Angels weren’t necessarily one of them. It’s bad enough to fight off the usual suspects like Steve Cohen and the New York Mets, but the Angels joining the party could spell disaster.

Burnes is projected for a seven-year, $217 million contract by Tim Britton of The Athletic, which would be the biggest contract in Orioles history, but only the fourth-biggest in Angels history. Perhaps that is reason enough to believe LA has a slightly higher shot at landing the ace.