Perhaps the most surprising deal of the offseason came together late last night when the Diamondbacks and right-hander Corbin Burnes reportedly reached an agreement on a six-year deal that guarantees Burnes $210MM. It’s a deal that Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports came together rapidly after Burnes’s camp expressed the right-hander’s desire to pitch in the desert. Prior to Burnes pivoting to Arizona, the three teams most frequently connected to the right-hander were the incumbent Orioles, their division rival Blue Jays, and the Diamondbacks’ own division rival Giants.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale previously reported that the Jays and Giants both offered Burnes more than he ultimately received from the Diamondbacks, but subsequent reports have shed more light on the offers Burnes received prior to signing, particularly from Baltimore and Toronto. The Orioles, according to Danielle Allentuck of The Baltimore Banner, made a “competitive offer” for Burnes that did not ultimately reach the level of the deal he signed in Arizona. The exact specifics of the club’s offer to Burnes aren’t entirely clear, but it’s worth noting that Nightengale later reported that the Orioles and Blue Jays both discussed franchise-record contracts with Burnes while adding that one AL East club offered Burnes a seven-year, $250MM contract that did not come with an opt-out opportunity. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman, meanwhile, described the Blue Jays, Orioles, and one other team from the East divisions as the three biggest bidders for Burnes. That report tracks with Nightengale’s reporting but conflicts with that of Allentuck as Heyman appears to suggest that the Orioles outbid the Diamondbacks for Burnes’s services.
It’s unclear which AL East club made the $250MM offer Nightengale mentioned, and it’s worth noting that both the Yankees and Red Sox were regarded as serious contenders for Burnes’s services before pivoting away from the right-hander to land Max Fried and Garrett Crochet respectively. Both the Orioles and Blue Jays needn’t have gone anywhere near that $250MM level to offer Burnes the largest contract in franchise history; Toronto’s current record for guaranteed money is the six-year, $150MM contract they gave to outfielder George Springer, while the Orioles’ current record is held by former first baseman Chris Davis and his seven-year, $161MM deal. Those relatively low benchmarks make offering Burnes a franchise-record guarantee a somewhat obvious step for either club to take if at all serious about pursuing the right-hander, as he was wildly expected to land a deal in the $200MM range even from the outset of the offseason before the winter’s hot market for starting pitching came into focus.
Regardless of how competitive the offers Burnes received from Baltimore and Toronto ultimately were, both clubs will now have to turn their attention to other options as they look to fortify their rotations. The Blue Jays’ top priority is surely attempting to hammer out an extension with star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. that will keep him in town following the 2025 season, when he’s currently scheduled to hit free agency. Aside from that, however, the club has expressed a desire to both bolster their starting rotation while also bringing in a solid hitter who can help protect Guerrero in the lineup. On the rotation front, the club has reportedly shown interest in right-hander Nick Pivetta, but another possibility for the club could be focusing on adding a bat like Anthony Santander or Jurickson Profar and then focusing on a lower-level rotation signing like Michael Lorenzen or Spencer Turnbull.
As for the Orioles, the club already landed Tyler O’Neill and Gary Sanchez for its lineup earlier this winter and figures to be focused squarely on replacing Burnes at the front of its rotation going forward. A reunion with Jack Flaherty, who struggled with the club down the stretch in 2023 but looked much better with the Tigers and Dodgers this past season, has been floated as a possible back-up plan in the past. It’s also not difficult to imagine the club opting to explore the trade market, as they did when they first landed Burnes last winter. Padres right-hander Dylan Cease is available as a potential rental ace who mirrors last year’s acquisition of Burnes to a T, but it’s possible the Orioles would prefer to land a more controllable piece such as Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo, who they’ve reportedly joined a number of teams in inquiring after this winter.
The obsession with using data and sabermetrics to justify astronomical contracts for pitchers like Corbin Burnes is reaching ridiculous levels. Teams are bending over backwards, offering mind-boggling sums based on a few years of statistical outputs that ignore glaring flaws in Burnes’ recent performance. It’s laughable that a market, driven by outdated models and obsession with “potential,” continues to overspend based on the assumption that data can predict success without factoring in the real-world volatility of players. Instead of leaning into overpriced players due to a statistical frenzy, teams should invest in a more nuanced approach that balances the numbers with real-world observation, something that the current data-obsessed culture has long forgotten.
No offense, but you’ve been harping on this for what seems like years now. You’re starting to sound like an old man yelling at a cloud. Like it or not, that’s what baseball is now. Arizona’s paying the money, not you.
Lloyd, it’s always cute when people confuse a longstanding critique for a “rant.” The reality is, I’m not simply “yelling at a cloud,” I’m pointing out a fundamental flaw in the way the game is being approached. If you think blindly following statistical trends without understanding the nuances of player performance—especially when recent data on Burnes shows concerning volatility—is “what baseball is now,” then maybe it’s time to rethink what’s truly driving the sport.
Yelling at the clouds = offering no alternative solution.
“A more nuanced approach … with real world observation” means nothing. Empty words.
@Labial,
You’re missing the point. It’s not about offering a one-size-fits-all alternative — it’s about recognizing that numbers alone can’t tell the whole story. Real-world observation involves understanding the context behind the data, seeing how a player performs under pressure, or recognizing patterns that stats might miss. Saying it’s ’empty words’ is just dismissing the complexity of what actually goes into evaluating talent. It’s not about rejecting stats, but about using them in conjunction with real-world insights, not just blindly following the numbers.”
@old yeller
Definitely a rant, unhinged and unsubstantiated
@old
You have a certain arrogance about you. You think that former athletes and those that have been doing this for decades aren’t aware of the risks involved with signing FA that usually are in the 30 and up range? Teams know that and hope to get more positive years than negative. The bigger budget teams know they can absorb the down years.
First off, unless you have one in your farm, it’s difficult to obtain top of rotation starters with their best still ahead of them. Those that exist usually aren’t traded unless it’s a future cost concern (Crochet), a rebuild in which the SP doesn’t fit into the teams time-line or is close to FA and they know they can’t afford him and want more than a comp pick.
But what about Burnes ruins you the wrong way? His velocity was up a tick across the board. His IP and GB% are up slightly. His walk rate, ERA, FIP and HR rate are slightly lower. His k/9 HAS slightly reduced the last few years from 12% down to 9% but his ERA/FIP have remained pretty good. Maybe he just learned to pitch to contact more using his sinker, etc?
@Old
You’re totally ignoring the huge amount of money that teams spend in scouting talent on the mlb level. Those are the guys watching what they see on the field. The advanced analytics are more back office personnel.
@AssumesFactNotInEvidence
You’re right, it’s a rant — but it’s one based on valid frustration with a system that too often elevates raw data over the nuances of player performance. Stats are important, but they’re not infallible, and too many teams are falling into the trap of overvaluing potential without considering the real-world volatility and unpredictability of players. If you’re looking for concrete evidence, I’d point to Burnes’ recent decline as a prime example of where data fails to predict long-term success accurately. It’s not unsubstantiated; it’s based on watching how the game actually plays out.
@KnicksFanCavsFan
I’m not questioning that teams know the risks involved with signing players in their 30s — I’m arguing that the obsession with ‘potential’ and relying too heavily on models is leading to an oversaturation of risk. Burnes’ slight uptick in velocity or improved ERA/FIP doesn’t erase the fact that his performance has been inconsistent. It’s easy to cherry-pick a few decent numbers, but there’s more to this than just raw stats. The issue is the overvaluation of players like Burnes based on the assumption that the model will somehow override the real-world volatility, especially when it’s not a lock to pay off. It’s not just about the contract; it’s about the long-term consequences of ignoring the unpredictable nature of player performance.
It’s only a fundamental flaw from your limited mindset. You’re making assumptions and drawing conclusions from those assumptions that are relatively meaningless
Old York is extremely arrogant – without reason to be – and often makes mistakes as a result. Pay him no mind.
@danumd87
it’s cute how you try to brush aside actual concerns with vague accusations about ‘limited mindset.’ But here’s the truth: ignoring glaring weaknesses in a player’s performance in favor of cherry-picking favorable numbers is exactly how teams end up making expensive mistakes. Corbin Burnes might have been great once, but let’s not pretend the numbers from the past few seasons don’t show clear signs of regression. His K/9 rate dropping while his walk rate creeps up isn’t ‘a natural evolution’; it’s a warning sign. When you have a pitcher whose velocity is creeping down, and peripherals like his ERA and FIP are still decent despite declining strikeouts, that’s not a case of just ‘learning to pitch to contact’—that’s a case of a guy losing his dominance. So, keep telling yourself that ‘his ERA and FIP are still good,’ but even those aren’t as shiny as you’d like to think. Teams with more wisdom than blind devotion to stats already know that Burnes’ best days might be behind him, and no amount of fantasy metrics or ‘whataboutisms’ is going to change that.
@danumd87 2
Nice try deflecting with personal attacks, but it’s not going to work. I’m not the one ignoring the obvious flaws in Burnes’ game, which are backed up by real-world performance data. It’s easy to label someone ‘arrogant’ when you have no substantive argument to back up your position. But when you dismiss the actual trends—declining strikeouts, rising walk rates, and a dip in velocity—it’s clear who’s ignoring the facts here. If you’re going to call someone out, at least back it up with something more than baseless insults. Otherwise, you just look like you’re trying to defend a losing position.
Its always cute when an someone confuses their longstanding, nonsensical rant with a critique. A critique has facts to back it up. A rant doesn’t.
@Old
Again, YOU’RE assuming teams haven’t factored in regression. You think the Yanks don’t expect Fried to regress at some point of his contract? Of course they do. But they are MORE concerned with maximizing the next few years of the careers of Judge and Cole. If they can win a WS or more before Fried declines significantly, then they’ll take that. That’s why teams continually draft players and continually scout the trade market. The very nature of FA, that you have to put in 6 years before you hit the market sys the market into the battle of who’s selling to offer the most money and security for guys that generally are going to be 30 or older. Because of this fact makes the deal AZZ signed even better. It’s called at 6 years from his age 30 season to his age 35 season. And if he opts out that means he’s preformed well. Key him walk and let summertime else have him from age 32 on. But that’s a pretty good chance they can get 3 or 4 goods years from Burnes before he starts to slide significantly.
@Old
So what are these glaring and obvious warning signs that you see and others don’t?.
@KnicksFanCavsFan
Ah, so now we’re just supposed to assume teams have perfectly accounted for every possible regression without any evidence to show for it? Interesting. Look, you make the typical argument that the Yankees (or any team) expects a player like Fried or Burnes to regress at some point, but that’s exactly the problem. This isn’t about the assumption of regression—it’s about the consistent failure to address the current warning signs in players’ performances, which are far more telling than just ‘hopeful potential.’ Teams are operating on the premise that they can ‘squeeze a few more good years’ out of aging players like Burnes, but the track record of teams overpaying for past performance without factoring in real-world volatility is riddled with failure. Sure, Burnes may be solid for a few years, but the obsession with signing players based on past performances—without factoring in clear red flags—has led to plenty of overpriced contracts that ultimately hurt teams in the long run. Maximizing short-term gain over long-term sustainability is the path to mediocrity, and that’s exactly what I’m pointing out. In the end, teams are simply banking on the ‘best-case scenario,’ and that’s not a strategy—it’s a gamble.
@KnicksFanCavsFan
Honestly, it’s telling that you seem to be struggling with the obvious. If you can’t see the warning signs that have been evident for weeks, it might be time to step back and reassess. The fact is, there are numerous red flags—ranging from [insert specific examples of mistakes or overlooked factors]—that anyone who’s paying attention can recognize. It’s not about being some kind of clairvoyant; it’s about acknowledging what’s right in front of us. If you’re not seeing it, maybe it’s because you’re too focused on defending a losing argument. Time to re-evaluate, or you’ll just keep spinning your wheels.
“Mommy, mommy, I learned a new word today – nuance.”
“That’s great Yorkie, can you use it in a sentence?”
“Sure. After meeting your sisters, I wish I had a couple nuance!!”
@Old
Sorry fam. Your going to hang to do better than that. You claim that teams and “us” in general are missing obvious, glaring warning signs. The burden is on you to state what those things are. You keep pushing this idea so she’ll up and spell it out so we can ask basque in the aura of your superior intelligence.
@Old York These franchises worth Billion$ continue to offer these contracts and continue to make profits. It seems they know how to run their businesses.
You care to list all the MLB teams you’ve owned or billion $ companies. The only thing ridiculous is you thinking you know better than them.
Sounds like it’s you against the world
How many posts are you gonna say the same thing? (My guess is at least one more now)
I’m coming off a cold and you made me laugh/cough on that one.
@Old York MLB teams still have scouts. They are not just looking solely at data. Thi might not fit the narrative you want that helps demonize analytics, but it’s reality.
What is your solution then, not pay any players? Every player comes with flaws. Burnes has fewer than most of his counterparts, which is why he received the offers he got.
You do realize Burnes went from pitching in a terrible division to a good division and had fewer walks with similar strikeouts in the same amount of innings with a better overall ERA. Plus his velocity was stable. Your arguments are incorrect and invalid.
Old guy
You sound like that no it all jimmertee guy on here. An obnoxious know it all. Like you know more then the experts thaf spend their life doing this. After seeing these comments I’ll definitely be surfing the comment section to get a chuckle. Thanks for the entertainment
@Old York His walks last season, both total and per 9 were the lowest of his past 3 seasons. It has not been creeping up as you just stated. Yes his K/9 rate has been declining. However he has still has had a low WHIP(just led NL in 2023) every season.
Yes his K rate is cause for some concern. But the fact his walks are down as well and he’s still been effective is indicative of someone pitching well and not relying on throwing ball past every batter. Maybe before demonizing analytics you should learn how to read traditional stats.
@Old York
I understand what you’re saying. These stats, like WAR, apply more to fantasy leagues than the real world. Unfortunately, the real world is made up of humans. That those reading this, simply will dismiss it because it doesn’t fit their narrative, and will not give actual consideration to it, shows closed mindedness. But that’s today’s real world, also. Every contract has risk. Trying to predict even a short term contract is difficult. Who could have predicted that Burnes would sign with Arizona? I’m sure anyone that put that down in their entry, and talked about it, was quickly insulted and dismissed. Maybe Burnes family didn’t take well to Baltimore, and results were effected by the stress off the field? Maybe, as some have said, he’s learning to pitch to contact and go deeper into games. Maybe. But that assumes facts not in evidence. That makes it conjecture and speculation.
But hey, if it fits our narrative, rather than yours, then its ok.
Try not to let the big words bother you. Even if they’re not rad or sick AF.
@labby You put that very respectfully
@Lloyd ultimately we are paying the money. tickets, streaming, advertising, and merch revenues only flow in one direction. where else would you think it comes from but the fans?
In what world does Burnes not have ‘real world observation’ appeal
Dustyslambchops23, let’s not confuse a few flashes of brilliance with the broader picture. Burnes may have appeal on paper, but the “real world observation” I’m referring to includes tracking regression and injury risk, which is exactly where the obsession with outdated models comes up short. It’s easy to look at a few good years and ignore what’s been happening lately. That’s not baseball insight—that’s wishful thinking.
Models definitely have regression baked in and account for injuries. I promise you that.
A model is just a model though. Ultimately a billionaire signs off on a deal and if he decides the player is worth X it makes no difference what your model guys said.
@Ragnarok
Sure, models account for regression and injuries, but they also often fail to capture the full scope of a player’s real-world performance, especially when their recent output is trending downward. Ultimately, yes, the billionaire owner signs off, but that doesn’t mean blindly following a model is the smartest move. Baseball isn’t a spreadsheet — it’s a game of unpredictable variables, and the obsession with numbers alone is a huge reason why some teams keep making disastrous investments. The real question is whether those owners are truly seeing the forest through the trees, or if they’re just getting lost in the stats.
@Old
his velocity is pretty consistent. the k rate has lowered but that could mean he’s relying more of pitching to contact rather than striking out everyone which can lead to a higher pitch count.
@Old York I understand your viewpoint. There’s no doubt Burnes having consecutive years of declining K rate and increasing WHIP rate should give anyone pause. But as Andrew Friedman once”If you’re always rational about every free agent, you will finish third on every free agent.” It’s the price of doing business if you want to land a premier FA. I’m a Cubs fan and I am so sick of hearing them (a major market team top 5 revenue team) talk about intelligent spending. Every team that signs a player to a long term deal does so with the understanding the contract won’t age well. If you can get a couple great years and a couple good years from Burnes it will still be worth it.
@Old
seriously, bro. many have already said this. teams are offering contracts they expect to be not so good towards the latter half. they know the risks. the fact that you think you’re the only one that recognizes that fact makes you come off as highly arrogant.
The Yanks have the financial wherewithal to take those risks. The Mets, despite having far more financial might seem more risk adverse and would rather go short-term with SP older than Burnes. Burnes will be 30 at the end of the 2025 season. The 3 guys they have signed are all either 32 or 33 by the start of the 2025 season. Some teams, mostly smaller markets, have to home grow their talent and bargain shop for leftovers on 1 year deals. Begrudgingly, they don’t have the finances to sign long-term deals and certainly can’t afford to absorb the replacement cost should those long-term deals sour quickly
KFCF, You would be right about that. His decreasing walks and SO, P/PA, increasing AB vs PA which means more balls in play, and total pitches thrown shows that he is focusing more on reducing his pitch counts.
His Pitching+ has been exactly the same for 3 seasons. His velocity has been consistent the last 3 seasons. His pitching run value and FB run value was up slightly in 2024 and has been remarkably consistent.
This is vague, pseudo-intellectual hogwash
Srechter35, it’s easy to dismiss a well-founded critique as “vague” when it challenges conventional thinking. But if you actually took the time to understand the points being made, you’d see it’s not “pseudo-intellectual hogwash.” It’s a call to balance data with real-world nuance, something the current obsession with metrics often overlooks.
Exactly. He’s essentially saying very little, if anything, or either merit or intelligent thought
Someone got a thesaurus for Christmas. Congrats!
SteamyNipsMcCronk, thanks for the compliment on my vocabulary—clearly, it’s more than what’s needed to recognize the holes in your arguments. But if you want to continue parroting surface-level jabs, go right ahead. Meanwhile, I’ll keep pointing out the real issues with how teams are approaching player evaluations.
I didn’t make any arguments, you turd demon. Good job taking down that strawman, you insufferable troglodyte.
SteamyNipsMcCronk, your attempt at an insult is noted, but it’s still not an argument. Calling me a “turd demon” doesn’t change the fact that your responses are just noise. If you’re going to throw out personal attacks, at least try backing them up with something more substantial than childish name-calling. But hey, I guess that’s easier than actually engaging with the discussion, right?
@oldyork. Maybe you could have provided the arguments that had so many holes. Again, you are a moron. Trying so hard to sound smart while everyone else shakes their head and cringes for you
Orioles will snag Pablo Lopez for prospects by January 4th.
Unless Dylan Cease is more available than I think.
Not a bad thought. Or a Castillo, Gray or McClanahan would be nice, too. I just don’t think Elias wants to watch Mayo launch 40 long balls for a year of Cease. Maybe for one of the 4 mentioned with multiple years though.
RayW
I think they can order a pitcher and “hold the Mayo”
Ray
Bradford (80 sped) and Creed (blocked) would be a good start maybe a third team too 30 guy included and keep Mayo and Samuel Bassalo
It’s not going to take Mayo to land any of those arms. Remember, almost all trades – even for stars – are made absent highly ranked prospects.
Lopez I’m thinking Kjerstad plus. Which is fine if that’s our biggest need today. Heston is good but there’s not an obvious path for him and the glove is bad.
With 3 years of control I assume the Cubs are sniffing around Lopez. I would be willing to part w our #6 prospect Kevin Alcantara and another prospect in the 10-15 range to get a deal done. I have to assume that would entice MIN who seems intent on shedding payroll.
Whenever people are upset with the money I like to remind them every team tries to operate for a profit and that salaries were relatively stagnant for years and what we are seeing nowadays are the reality of real salaries catching up with the true value of the players.
I think that fans assumed the stagnant salary levels were representative of the limits of what teams could afford to pay and for individuals it’s just so difficult to fathom being paid these amounts or reasonably demanding these amounts that it feels greedy because they can’t imagine justifying a request for salaries this large.
If someone is paying you something because you provide them with the product they make money from, they’re paying you at a level where they still profit or feel they profit from your work.
None of these teams or the league operate at break even or losses, because that’s not sustainable.
Also there’s a mandate within the MLBPA to pressure free agents to try to beat their equivalents’ AAV and total years from previous free agent classes, so that salaries don’t stagnate.
I remember when my older friends from my neighborhood graduated college and one guy got a job making $33k a year and another guy was making $55k a year and a third guy was making a mind boggling $90k a year from competitive job markets within their specific areas of study and accreditation…. Nowadays those same entry level jobs, if they exist, would pay around $60k, $90k and $130k or so, but still don’t go as far as the $33k, the $55k or the $90k originally did.
Extrapolate that to even the wealthy levels of income and it’s entirely reasonable for these guys to push for larger pieces of the financial pie that exists on the backs of their labor and skill sets.
You’re not wrong. But for years the “stagnant” salaries were a result of relatively modest TV deals. Hence why the Yanks and Dodgers could spend more. The problem with 200+ players is that we, as fans, pay more at the stadium. I’m old enough to remember when a day at the ball park for a family was under $100. Now if you want a ticket closer to the field it’s $150 plus.
Burnes has been one of the best pitchers since 2020 but his peripherals are worrisome lmao. Complete opposite of what you said
@amk1920
I’m not saying Burnes hasn’t had good years — I’m saying that his recent performance is a mix of good and bad, and teams are banking on the good while ignoring the warning signs in his peripherals. It’s like putting a ton of stock into a stock that’s had some great years, but the market signals are starting to go south. Relying on those ‘best pitcher’ narratives without acknowledging the risk factors that are clearly there is exactly what I’m criticizing. Peripherals matter, and overlooking them for a flashier reputation is where teams go wrong.
This point directly contradicts your entire earlier rampage, does it not? Now the narrative is that teams are *ignoring* obvious data in favor of “reputation” and intangibles of that sort? Wasn’t the over-reliance on data your entire schtick? You don’t pose a coherent argument because you don’t have one. This perceived “missing link” between data and common sense isn’t some binary thing.
@Srechter35
“Nice try, but you’re misinterpreting the core of my argument. I’ve never argued against using data—far from it. What I’m saying is that there’s an over-reliance on certain data points, particularly with pitchers like Burnes, while ignoring critical warning signs that are glaring in the numbers. Data needs context, and the idea that we can simply look at ‘reputation’ or cherry-pick positive data without factoring in the full picture—including those red flags—makes for dangerous decision-making. There’s no binary issue here—teams should use data and real-world observation to form a more nuanced approach, not ignore one or the other. So yes, it’s about striking a balance between advanced stats and recognizing when the player’s overall trajectory is trending in a problematic direction.”
Why on earth are you quoting yourself here?
Your first comment complained about teams using sabermetrics and data to justify decisions. You then posit that it’s actually Burnes’ reputation that is driving the decision making. This is vague, and seemingly contradictory.
You’re describing a problem that you have in no way proven exists. A problem that certainly wouldn’t be best exemplified through Corbin Burnes, surely. One could argue that the diminutive POV would be to make sweeping assumptions based solely on his k/9. No one is ignoring that fact. It’s just the laziest evaluation method possible.
Has your team had an ace? It’s pretty universally enjoyable to have an ace. Only 5-15 pitchers are probably placed at once, hence the healthy ones get paid.
The obsession with trying to discount data and analytics when the top teams are spending millions on it each season has gone far beyond ridiculous levels.
DATA is king.
@Pads Fans
Ah, yes, DATA is king—if you’re content with a world where every team is too busy worshipping numbers to see the glaring flaws in their own decision-making. It’s truly impressive how some people are willing to throw millions at a model that fails to account for the inherent volatility in player performance. Analytics are useful, no doubt, but when they are treated as the end-all-be-all, without any real-world context, they become a crutch for lazy decision-making. Just because a few top teams are mindlessly pumping millions into analytics doesn’t mean it’s working; it only means they’re betting on assumptions, ignoring the human factors and inherent unpredictability of baseball. The obsession with raw data without acknowledging its limitations is the real ‘ridiculous’ trend here, and it’s why so many of these teams are getting burned. If you think throwing money at numbers without balance or foresight is the answer, you’re ignoring the very point of what makes a successful baseball team—a mix of stats, scouting, and most importantly, smart, nuanced decision-making.
Yet you cannot point out any flaws without using DATA. Anything else is useless.
What is lazy is your attempts at reasoning.
Old York – Get off chat GPT
@AgitatedPassenger
Which chat GPT? This is my pure argument. I’m sorry you’re struggling to debate logically.
Corbin Burnes didn’t start using the Roger Beshens Football Slider until 2018. This shows the importance of developing pitchers from within the team so they don’t have to spend a lot of money to find someone who can throw a similar slider.
York
With all due respect, I would give it “old man yelling at the clouds” if this was a one off signing, or even a one-off offseason.
But this is what ALL the teams are doing and have been for years
The Dodgers are doing this, the current WS champs.
The Diamondbacks are doing this, IIRC correctly, made the WS in 2023 and were only 2 games worse than the Orioles in 2024.
The Yankees do this all the time, and the Orioles were looking up at them yet again in the standings this year.
Teams are paying for more years to spread the expected market price over more years, in this case, hoping for 3 or 4 productive years, that’s what they are paying the $240M for. They aren’t paying for 6 years…if they get 5 or even 4 very good years they’ll be thrilled.
That is the reality of the market.
In terms of “glaring flaws” a drop in strikeout rates in the old days would mean that a one time “power pitcher” became a “crafty veteran” to have a few more effective years. If the outs come on pop ups or ground outs versus strikeouts, who cares? Outs are outs. Nowadays there are ratios and stats that are behind these words.
The old man yelling at the clouds is actually the Orioles front office, who adamantly refuse to play along with basically the rest of the league even though for once they actually have a young, competitive (cheap) team on offense, insisting that they are smarter than everyone else, thinking they can find a better solution without paying for it and also not having the ability to develop these top notch pitchers within their own system either.
The Diamondbacks just improved their entire rotation by getting an ace. Just like the Orioles did last year and refuse to do this year. You can’t improve the entire rotation with a back end guy, and having a healthy dominant closer is great and all but not if you can’t get to the 9th with leads.
No effort is being made to develop top flight starting pitchers because we’re only drafting hitters early.
They’ve done a nice job developing the arms that the system had.
Amazing how many people have yet to mute this know-nothing, circular reasoning, pathologically contrarian doofus.
There may be flaws in Burnes’ recent performance, but I don’t see what you’re describing as teams “ignoring” those flaws or “overspending.” Burnes got $210m as a free agent after generally pitching as a top-10 SP asset through the last five seasons. He is not expected to get better in his 30s, okay, I think every front office exec understands that. But over the next two offseasons, the free agent pitchers at an ace-type level are Cease, Gallen, Skubal, Peralta, Sale, and Crochet. Who is better than Burnes, maybe Skubal? Dude is virtually guaranteed to bank more AAV and total dollars than Burnes just did. The other pitchers have been worse than Burnes, but maybe you’re saying that some of them lack the same red flags, and would be worthy of a similar valuation to Burnes once they’re free agents? I’m not sure, but I know all those dudes will have $200m asking prices, other than maybe Sale. Are there any of them you’d take over Burnes?, because if not, it seems that Burnes has been valued appropriately; teams expect every FA signing to be an overpay, but they’re just willing to drop that money to max out the contention window. If your argument is that all free agent signings are out of control, then okay, but I don’t see what team are “missing” in the equation with Burnes. If anything, the Dbacks seem to have secured his services by offering him the exact amount, and not a penny more, that would keep him from pitching against them as a SF Giant for the next half decade.
20th century general managers would’ve seen an ERA crown, a Cy Young award, 4 straight all star appearances, and never being lower than 8th in the Cy Young vote the last 5 years… and promptly given him an even larger percentage of their payroll.
It’s laughable to say that Corbin Burnes is being paid for “potential” instead of for his past output. He’d be making more than he is if there weren’t doubts about how long his output can continue to be so good, and signs of slight decline.
You’re so completely and totally full of yourself. Get just 1% of perspective about reality. 1%. Start. There.
@York, Couldn’t have said it better.
What he said
Aloha folks, in the end Burnes made his choice, close to home and possibly picked because of taxes too. The SF Bay area is expensive! Mahalo
This is all Bull Sauce
Corbin Burnes simply did not want to return to the Orioles
He never said one word his Love for Baltimore or Lefty for that matter lol
Seriously though…he did not want to comeback
His life is on the west coast. Burnes gave him self flexibility and a whole lot of money. I’m not surprised he went out there but I am shocked it was the Dbacks.
That was a bold move, even for Loki
If O’s gave him a significantly better contract he would love to return there. Franchise record contract is a insult. They just wanted to be able to say that. They wanted the draft pick an had zero interest in Burnes. I would have played it the same. A+ Baltimore
Again.. He and his wife and kids live in Arizona.
Seems like the case. Sounds like he wanted to be in Arizona more than he wanted a few more bucks.
He was projected to get $28.5 million for 7 years. He got $35 million for 6 years. Both the AAV and the total are higher than what we thought he would get coming into the offseason.
The rumor of $245 is either $5 million less than he got AAV if for 8 years (Feinsand) or exactly the same if for 7 years (Heyman), minus the very valuable opt out.
The only reliable source said that the Orioles never offered him as much as the Diamondbacks did.
Not seeing where he gave up any money to play 15 miles from home.
You are correct. Sometimes more money is not always the deciding factor. Greg Maddox picked the Braves lower offer over the Yankees higher offer because he preferred to be in a smaller city than the colossal metropolis of NYC and all its accompanying headaches. From all that Maddox has said he has never regretted the choice.
@Bucs Maddux choose the Braves because he was familiar with most players in the NL. He says it himself during an interview in his documentary.
Bucsfan
If he had played in NYC, would you have learned to spell his last name correctly?
He also stated back in 1993 that he preferred the lifestyle of Atlanta over that of NYC.
Spelling when corrected by the annoying autocorrect is not important. And only a pompous self-important dip wad like you would bother to make a useless comment. You may now go urinate up the old proverbial rope
Burnes is reported to have approached Arizona. He clearly wanted to play as close to home as possible and he got exactly what he wanted.
@Lefty
does it matter at all? all speculation.
there’s still work to do, no reason to spend too much energy focusing on what ifs. he has his reasons, I’m grateful for his efforts on behalf of Baltimore last year.
After every single big name free agent signs, someone from the Blue Jays always leaks that they tried really, really hard to sign him.
It seems like Toronto is gearing up to be sellers at the deadline, while putting these nuggets out there to act like they’re really trying to field a championship caliber team to save face with their fan base.
“Well, everyone, we tried our best to put a championship contender together. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out and now we need to look towards the future.”
@Damn Yankee$
They should have been sellers at the ’24 TDL. They still need a 3B, LF, DH, and a couple of BP arms before they can call themselves competitive.
Not a fan of the Northeast apparently.
He’s a fan of $. They just didn’t offer enough. If taxes were the same. Opt out the same. Years the same. 250 vs 210 is a no brainer. He doesn’t like Arizona that much. Maybe he is stupid but I doubt it. 4 million sure take where you want to live. Even 14. But 40? You’d have to be a idiot.
O’s ownership seems to be lacking the desire to let this team be truly all in.
@DarkSide830
Most of the AL East teams aren’t interested in winning this year. Yankees are building, not to win the ALE but to be in the WS next year. O’s will probably still be in the playoff hunt but I do expect them to take a bit of a step back.
O’s had the most injuries last year and still competed.
They will not be taking a step back
I’ll disagree if you don’t add a pitcher the same level of Burnes in the off season. You don’t subtract one of the best pitchers in baseball, not replace him with equal value, and not take a step back.
Yes, but Cole missed a lot of starts too!
Definitely taking a step back, TJ surgeries will continue to run amok with the Os
Bradish might be back in June along with Wells. That could be a big boon.
There’s no reason at all to think the Os will take a step back without Burnes. His production will be much more than made up for by a full year of eflin in combination with a return to health from one of the worst injury plagued seasons we’ve seen any team have in decades. The orioles will win 90+ if they stabs completely pat. Bautista should be back to start the season, wells before the summer and Bradish by seasons end. It might not be pretty and they probably won’t be World Series bound but this current Orioles team is probably the only “lock” to win 90 in the game besides the dodgers.
@Dustyslambchops23
Sure, the O’s had a ton of injuries last year, but injuries don’t magically disappear, and relying on them to stay healthy isn’t a strategy—it’s wishful thinking. Just because they stayed competitive while limping through injuries doesn’t mean they won’t take a step back. The fact is, this team is still very young and hasn’t proven they can keep up that level of performance without major upgrades, especially on the mound. You can’t just expect to run it back and hope for the same result. Sorry, but reality catches up with you.
@scruffmcgruff:
Let’s be real here: unless the O’s pull off some serious moves, replacing Burnes’ production isn’t as simple as plugging in another guy. Eflin’s a solid addition, but he’s no Burnes, and that’s a big hole to fill. You don’t just subtract an ace and pretend nothing changes. Pitching depth and experience are a huge deal, and not addressing that will hurt the O’s. It’s not about if they take a step back—it’s about how much of one.
@slider32:
Cole’s missed starts, sure. But we’re not talking about the Yankees’ pitching situation here—we’re talking about the O’s, who have way more questions on the mound. The O’s are already stretching the limits of what a young roster can do, and if they expect a repeat performance without addressing their pitching deficiencies, they’re in for a rude awakening. One ace and a series of ‘ifs’ about health aren’t enough to guarantee they don’t take a step back.
@AssumesFactNotInEvidence:
Yeah, because the Orioles are so good at avoiding Tommy John surgeries, right? There’s no way that this injury trend will keep up—oh, wait. It will. They can’t escape the injury bug forever, and the risk of recurring injuries in their pitching staff is a very real problem. The whole ‘we were injured, but we’ll be fine next year’ line is pure fantasy. You can only bank on health for so long before the odds catch up with you. The O’s have already played their hand on that front, and it’s starting to show cracks.
@rayw:
Sure, Bradish and Wells coming back could help, but that’s relying on a lot of things going right. You can’t just assume that everything will magically fall into place, especially when the O’s haven’t proven to have a consistent, reliable rotation. Let’s be real: relying on what could be is a dangerous game in a tough division. Sure, it’s a boon if they come back healthy, but that’s a big if, and it still doesn’t solve their larger pitching issues.
@danumd87 2:
Wow, a full year of Eflin and health restoration are going to magically make up for the loss of one of the best pitchers in the game? Don’t kid yourself. The O’s might win 90+, but they won’t be as competitive as they were last year without making serious upgrades, especially to the rotation. The whole ‘we were injured last year, so we’ll be fine this year’ argument is as outdated as it gets. You can’t ignore the reality of their pitching staff and hope for the same result. They’ll be competitive, but they’re no lock for 90 wins, not in a division like the AL East.
Truth. You’ve downgraded(imo) from a reliably healthy power hitter to a slightly younger less powerful hitter with better on base skills that is also not reliably healthy. You’ve subtracted one of the best pitchers in baseball and replaced him with a 35 year old contact pitcher making the move from Japan to the MLB. I actually like that signing but you have to do way more than that at this point, you are a much worse team now than you were at the end of the season.
Burnes got elite throwing the Roger Beshens Football Slider, then for whatever reason, chooses to throw the cutter more, reminds me of Musgrove.
It’s not hard to figure out anytime cutting the ball or off center it’s more vulnerable on the arm than a fastball, curve, Roger Beshens Football Slider or changeup, as long as it’s not a split fingered changeup. That’s just common sense.
@Old Eflin’s #s with the O’s were better than Burnes last season. And no players don’t magically have injuries disappear. They do however heal and recover over time, which time has elapsed and they are all progressing through recovering.
Teams do have to account for injuries as they will happen. In th O’s case the # of injuries were far above average. So yes, just suffering an average amount of injuries in 2025 would be a huge addition for them.
Eflin made 9 starts. Burnes made 32 and had a substantially better FIP and WHIP. As well as SO% and H/9.
Eflin’s FIP was 3.94 to Burnes 3.5 while with O’s. Also had better ERA+, ERA, Win %
Yes Burnes is a much larger sample size. But point still stands Eflin did quite well. A full year of him will not negate the loss of Burnes, but it will still be added value that helps fill some of the void.
1st point was most important. 9 starts. Being available every 5th game is more important than small sample size ERA. Win% means nothing in terms of pitcher performance.
Wait now burnes is one of the best pitchers in the game?
Your first comment was how about we need a more balanced approach to player valuations. Which one is it
Plus the Santander HRs and Gunnar won’t have a MVP type season next year. Slight step back but still a great player
Dear Old Internet Troll.
M is for moron. M is for mute.
Good freaking riddance.
I was specifically speaking of Eflin’s time with the O’s. Which due to the trade deadline he was only available to the a
O’s for a limited time, but was available every 5th game for the O’s while he was with them.
A TOR is nice to have but not necessary to compete at the highest level.
Overall talent level of the rotation is more important. And regardless of whether you have a TOR guy or not, the season long health of the rotation is what’s most important.
The rotation the Orioles broke ST with in 2023 didn’t have a TOR. That said it stayed intact (outside of Wells) resulting in 101 wins. The 2024 version of the rotation had a TOR but was devastated by injury and it produced a 91 win outcome.
Orioles do not necessarily need a TOR. There’s enough there to win in 2025 plus Bradish and Wells are on the mend. Os priority should be getting one more experienced hitter with playoff experience.
York.. this is purely your opinion only and i totally disagree with your statement “most teams in the ale arent intersted in winning this year” . I think all of them are interested in winning
@Poolhalljunkies:
Look, I get it. Teams are always ‘interested in winning,’ but let’s not pretend like all teams in the AL East are built to contend this year. The Yankees are clearly focused on the future, not the present. They’re building, and that’s why they’re not throwing money at every available player to make a run this season. So yeah, saying most teams are ‘interested in winning’ this year completely ignores the larger picture. The Yankees are clearly playing the long game, while other teams like the O’s are banking on a ‘magic’ repeat of last year. But that won’t work without proper adjustments.
York..you also need to consider the current state of the game..sure your argument holds water pre expanded playoffs and really holds it pre wildcard..but lets truly be honest you dont need to field a great team to make the playoffs anymore and everyone knows once you are in anything is possible…so my point stands they are all interested but recognize they no longer need to win the offseason to win it all
Interested sure. Doing something to achieve this absolutely not. Not opening day yet though. But not looking good.
O’s aren’t playing for a window. Trying for sustainable winning. That’s most profitable.
DarkSide – agreed.
This team went 34-38 WITH Burnes taking the ball every 5th game (one bad month, the rest good) in the 2nd half.
I don’t want to hear about “injury luck” as an excuse and something that will just be magically be overcome this year.
Bradish is slated to be more like an August return, not June.
Rodriguez has not yet shown a full season of dominance. He was inconsistent in 2024. Great at times, bad at others, average overall. His best stretch was the 2nd half of 2023. Also He’s not a sure thing to suddenly turn into a low 3 ERA guy over 30 starts, especially after a career high in IP being 122 in 2023 and only 75 in 2022 and 103 in 2021. I’m not putting my $ on it.
Eflin was great down the stretch last year. Let’s also realize he’s had 30 starts in a season just twice. The positives are that his best two seasons by far were 2023 and then his Orioles tenure, followed by the short 2020 season. He’s also already turning 31, how much more upside does he have? I’ll take another above average season but he’s more 2-3, not an ace caliber.
Sugano, Povich, Kremer, Suarez, McDermott…among this group, the best you can hope is average, like a #4’s numbers – exactly what Suarez produced out of nowhere last year.
So you have a 2-3 in Eflin, a 3 with a potential of 2 in Rodriguez but a question mark, and several back end guys. Also unknown is what Bradish will be upon return. This is not a rotation you can field and expect to compete in the AL East.
I am reminded of the 1985 team. Very good if not great offense that wasn’t enough to make up for poor pitching, and the team finished about .500.
Shocking, the Blue Jays were in discussions with him. I wonder how many more times we’ll hear that this offseason??
Every time. Because 10% of the time the Blue Jays sign their guy every time.
Since he didnt return to baltimore, i at least take some comfort that he choose to go play near home and family.
He choose the $. That’s just the pr machine running talking about family. Other pr machine running saying look we offered more or franchise record! A few million more he would have gone wherever. Arizona is best offer I heard reported so he didn’t have to sacrifice any $. And I am sure he would have at a small enough amount. But he didn’t have to.
The stank on the Jays can be smelt throughout the league. No big name signings. Whether they were “in it to the end” or not, there’s more to read into here and it’s not good for Toronto. Pivot the play and do what should’ve been the plan from the start: enter the dark ages of a rebuild – this team had a losing record this yr. What could they possibly do now to “compete” in 2025. Deal Vlad and gauge the temperature on Bo – maybe hope for a strong start to the year to rebuild some value for the trade deadline
Weird. There’s a guy on here that kinda looks like a guerrilla who’d bet his first born that players only consider the top line dollar amount when signing contracts.
It has to be the Red Sox right? Unless Cashman had a trade already on the desk involving a top of the line stud at 2b or 3b using perhaps Gil or Schmidt plus prospects then I can’t see them surpassing the 4th lux tax line and giving up more pics and pool money.
No way the Yankees were involved. In a few years, a rotation with a declining Cole, Rodon, Fried, and Burnes leaves the team with no room to maneuver. Not Cashman’s style to mire the franchise into a boom-bust cycle.
@Yanks
I’m not suggesting they did but simply putting out a situation where maybe they would’ve considered. They just did the same thing to get Williams. But Cole and Rodon will be off the books in 4 years so IF they had signed Burnes then he would likely displace Gil or Schmidt and would be off the books 1 year after Cole and Rodon
Yankees smart. They got the better cheaper lefty. Boston smart got the much better Crochet. Baltimore smart. Just bid him up try to get him at a discount but we really want this draft pick. Toronto knows they would need to over pay and 250m is a overpay. But they were probably just bidding him up as well. Even though the amount is more the Arizona contract is superior.
With baby twins, I don’t blame him for wanting to play for the team whose home field is the closest to his home in all of MLB, and he can even re-evaluate the situation in 2 years thanks to the opt out.
I’m genuinely happy for the guy and it’s also nice to see a Boras client leave money on the table to play close to home. Congrats, Burnesy.
King
With the two babies, he should have signed with Minnesota.
At last, I truly see…
WHERE IS MY RIMSHOT!
And it was the best contract.
Who cares what the Jays might have done anymore.
If their mega billionaire owners really wanted someone they could get anything done.
At least show some class to your fan base and tell them if you are in or out on these guys.
If Arizona forks out that kind of money for Burns then Teams like Toronto not forking out more shows that they aren’t to be taken seriously.
Put up or shut up time for these guys has passed.
It sounds like he and his wife wanted to be in Arizona.
Once again, the jays and shatkins were used to leverage a larger payout.
There was never a chance he was going to play for Toronto.
Time for a front office that wants to put a team on the field that are not just somebody else’s scrubs.
Damn, O’s gotta get something done though. Saying you offered a franchise record contract is all fine and dandy but it does little to replace the giant hole Burnes left behind.
Cease and the QO pick Orioles will get for him for Kjerstad to replace Profar,
RHP Brandon Young #18
C/1B Creed Williams #21
RHP Alex Pham #24
Makes sense.
Padres clear the 14 mill they need
Get a cheap Profar replacement on Kjerstad
Go out and pick up 2 of Perez, Quantril, Quintana, Trevor Williams, Heaney, Lynn and trust your coaching and analytics department (if they’re healthy).
I don’t think Kjerstad is available for a 1 year rental, pretty much no matter who it is.
Well, I guess Orioles will enjoy another early playoff exit in 2025.
They lost their ace in Burnes and could use two TOR to go along with Rodriguez.
But guess they’re hoping Trevor Rodgers figures things out.
We’ll see what happens 🙂
We’ve seen this movie 2 years running
2023- hey orioles you need a TOR arm
Orioles: ok best we can do is Jack Flaherty
2024- hey orioles you need a TOR arm to go along with Burnes and Rodriguez.
Orioles: ok best we can do is Trevor Rodgers
2025: hey orioles you need TWO TOR arms to go along with Rodriguez.
Orioles: ok best we can do is McDermott and Sugano
Wasting years on the core for no reason.
We didn’t give that up for 1 year of Burnes – no way do we give up that haul for 1 year of Cease. Way, way too much.
You gave up Joey Ortiz and DL Hall (two former top 100 prospects) giving up just Kjerstad and some lottery tickets is less than Burnes commanded.
They weren’t willing to trade Kjerstad for two years of Cease control so there’s no chance that deal is on the table for one. The padres would of course love that return but they’re probably not even looking at a Bradfield type, rather a Beavers as a centerpiece.
“Trade us your best players for less than they’re worth”
Well enjoy another one and done post season I guess. Wasting years on guys cause orioles won’t go and get the 1 now 2 TOR arms they need to compete.
Boston gets better. Yankees at least stayed the same. Orioles get worse. I guess there’s always Trevor Rodgers.
It makes sense, but the Orioles squeeze their prospects so hard, no matter who they are, they might be hoping they turn into diamonds.
They’re not trading any prospects they’re playing now. Kjerstad isn’t going anywhere until at least his late arb years when he starts costing $, or if he stops performing as a good prospect.
He was wildly expected to get a big bag. That’s wild.
I think this is the motivation that gets the Os to send some prospects to MN for Lopez
The boo crew and o’s couldn’t win anything with Burnes so doubt the dbags will
Well for the first time in 40 years, I can finally say… the Orioles actually tried to get a pitcher
Amen to that!
I’m assuming there 0% chance of Saski, but pairing a 23 yo pitcher w/ 25yo Grayson for a couple years would look amazing for the rotation. So I guess it’s a trade…sigh, farm ain’t as stocked as it used to be.
No they didn’t. We’ve been hearing this “almost” and “were in on” and “were seriously considering” stuff every offseason since the Purge of 2000
Sorry but they didn’t try at all. Franchise record isn’t close to what he actually got. They just made a offer so their pr could say we offered franchise record. They had zero intention of signing him. They wanted the draft pick.
Nightengale is almost always wrong, so I would go with Allentuck. Orioles made an offer that was “competitive” but not close to what Arizona offered. Maybe something like 6 years/$180 million? That would still be a franchise record.
I hope Burnes enjoys the heat.
At the end of the day maybe the big eastern markets didn’t appeal to Burnes. It’s not like he gave Arizona much of a discount so he didn’t leave that much money on the table. The reactions here are what happens when big name free age eschew the big money coastlines in favor of playing where they would actually be happy. As a Sox fan i really wanted Burnes in Boston but he obviously didn’t want to be there and that’s his choice
I don’t know anything about Canada taxes but they must be harsh. Yankees red sox got better pitchers cheaper. If everything was equal he chooses Arizona. But 10 20 million more he would love the north east I would guess.
Yes…you don’t know anything about taxes in Canada.
It sounds like the final destination was always going to be Arizona. Jays and O’s were used as leverage to get into the money.
Btw…there are special agreements between Canada and US for sports/entertainment workers…
That’s why they tell these stories.
Balt will absorb the loss of Burnes without adding by
a.) gaining 2/3 of a season of Eflin
b.) avoiding running out a full season of terrible 5 era starters to fill in for the 3 tommy john guys.
An addition will be a net plus, not a maje up.
Not easy to replace his era and innings. Even for him in 2025 2026! They won’t be better without him or even the same unless they make major trade Lopez Cease.
Saj
a) Eflin has made 30+ starts in his career exactly twice. Other than his post-trade run with the Orioles, he hasn’t matched Burnes’ Orioles figures in his career. I am hoping for a mid 3 ERA and healthy, 25-30 starts. That doesn’t quite do it.
b) Who? Let’s do a reasonable but sunny scenario
– 13 additional starts from Rodriguez (he had 20 before going down) and he pitches better overall than he did last year, something closer to his 2023 late season run. That’s something 3.5 ERA or a bit better.
– What are the odds Suarez can repeat basically league-average #’s (3.7 ERA/4.24 FIP) across more than 130 IP/24 starts? I’m not putting money on it.
– Sugano adjusts decently to MLB and is healthy, putting up 30 starts,of sub 4 ERA
– Bradish is back at or even before the ASB and picks up somewhat where he left off, maybe near a 3 ERA, 15 starts
– Someone of Povich, McDermott, Kremer (somehow, despite not seeing it 3 years now), etc. emerges as a viable innings eater back end guy.
The Orioles are going into the season hoping for an even sunnier scenario than that, and this is a big stretch already.
A plus is possible I guess the same way that its possible for me to go un-bald after 15 years…, a minus is much more probable.
So did the Minnesota Twins.
What a great time to be a Blue Jays fan. Wake me when it’s 1992 again.
7/250 no opt out. He should have taken it. He’s not opting out. Expecting good performance the next two seasons but not the ace level he’s getting paid for.
Or maybe after six years, he’ll decide he wants to move or be a full time Dad. Either way, he has multi-generational wealth.
I dunno Canada tax law. But USA there is a lot you can do. 250 might be closer to 210 and get gets opt out and lives at home. And gets to free agency a year sooner if he can still pitch. Scherzer Verlander 43m who knows
When your organization doesn’t commit to showing the path, you lose. It’s that simple. Are you in or out?
As usual, the Orioles were interested. They just couldn’t close.
They were interested in that draft pick. They weren’t close. Didn’t want him. Smart move.
Burnes made a family decision so there was no way he was coming back to Baltimore in spite of any reports or say.
I don’t believe the Orioles tried that hard to resign him because they’ve shown zero effort this entire off-season and during that disasterous trade deadline line last year. Why would Burnes want to come back? They’re a worst team than the one that lost in the playoffs. They’re going to fumble this whole thing.
Toronto isn’t appealing due to taxes. San Francisco and Baltimore are hardly places anyone, regardless of income, wants to settle down in. Truth hurts sometimes.
Taxes in NY and CA are comparable to taxes in Ontario.
Add to the fact that players get paid in USD but get to buy in CAD and the taxes are negligible.
The reality is Jays are not offering many of these guys contracts they are just used as PR and leverage in the media. I doubt very much they were in on Burnes at all