MLB Rumors: Orioles ‘Long Shot’ To Retain Potential Red Sox Pitching Target

The Boston Red Sox are expected to be active in free agency and could take advantage of a potential misfortunate slated to backfire on the American League East-rival Baltimore Orioles this offseason.

Baltimore acquired right-handed pitcher Corbin Burnes in February from the Milwaukee Brewers in a four-player trade that also included a draft selection. Burnes left a strong first impression with the Orioles, going 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA in 194 1/3 innings and becoming one of five team representatives in the 2024 MLB All-Star Game.

Yet, there isn’t a resounding level of optimism that Burnes will return to Baltimore in 2025.

“(The Orioles are) gonna give it a shot. They’ve got a new owner, obviously, a well-healed owner and he’s certainly gonna give it an effort,” MLB insider Jon Heyman said on Bleacher Report’s “B/R Walk-Off” stream Wednesday. “I do think it’s probably a long shot. I mean, he’s probably gonna get over $200 million, right? In my predictions, I think I had $210 million. I’ve seen some people go even higher than that. I think Burnes probably will go elsewhere whether that’d be the (New York) Mets, the Red Sox, or somewhere else. But more likely a bigger market team than Baltimore.”

Burnes is among the most regarded arms available in free agency, making him an obvious fit for Boston. The 30-year-old would slide right into Red Sox manager Alex Cora’s rotation alongside Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito and Tanner Houck, helping create a righty-dominant — and elite — rotation. Health played a major role in anchoring Boston to its third straight postseason contention miss, but Burnes also addresses that; having made 125 appearances in his last four (All-Star) seasons logged.

He’s also three years removed from his National League Cy Young victory when Burnes also led the league with a 2.43 ERA and 243 strikeouts. Since settling in as one of baseball’s most effective pitchers, Burnes has finished in the top ten in Cy Young voting four times in the past five seasons.

Switching over from Baltimore to Boston wouldn’t just mean bad news for the Orioles, but for the entire division — and possibly beyond. Through the first five weeks of the 2024 campaign, after Giolito went down with season-ending surgery in spring training, Red Sox starters recorded a 2.00 ERA and .211 opponent average, posting an overall 2.59 ERA that ranked first in all of baseball at the time.

Needless to say, Burnes to Boston could get the wheels spinning at Fenway Park again.