Before and during the Winter Meetings earlier this month, the starting pitching market saw rapid movement. Top rotation options like Blake Snell, Max Fried, and Walker Buehler have already signed, but Corbin Burnes—arguably the best of the bunch—remains a free agent. The San Francisco Giants are still considered the frontrunners to acquire him, though the situation could shift if a deal isn’t reached soon.
However, Burnes is reportedly complicating matters by seeking at least $245 million, the same amount that Stephen Strasburg received during the 2019-20 offseason.
“Most of the recent chatter regarding Burnes has centered on some combination of the Blue Jays, Giants, Red Sox and Orioles (albeit to a lesser extent in Baltimore’s case). Mark Feinsand of MLB.com writes that San Francisco has had a standing offer on the table, though he notes that the Giants could elect to move on to other targets if there continues to be no resolution on Burnes’ part,” MLB Trade Rumors wrote.
Burnes would look good at the top of the Giants rotation
Burnes, the 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner, would be an ideal replacement for Blake Snell in the Giants’ rotation. In 2024, his first and only season with the Orioles, he posted a solid 2.92 ERA. San Francisco has long been trying to make a big splash in the free-agent market. While they’ve signed several quality players, adding Burnes would be a significant upgrade, providing a strong complement to ace Logan Webb.
However, the Giants will face stiff competition, particularly from the Toronto Blue Jays, who, like San Francisco, have tried to land top-tier talent but haven’t had much success. The Boston Red Sox remain in the hunt, despite already adding Walker Buehler and Garrett Crochet to their roster. The Orioles, where Burnes played in 2024, are also still in play. Many teams are interested in Burnes, but it seems most are waiting for the situation to unfold before making their move.
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