Baltimore Orioles pitcher and perennial Cy Young candidate Corbin Burnes is headed to free agency this coming offseason.
The 29-year-old righty has pitched to a 3.23 ERA with 150 strikeouts in 164.1 innings this season. Burnes will fetch quite the contract wherever he signs, but he shared some of the criteria he's searching for in his next club, and they may benefit the Boston Red Sox.
Boston is due for a big offseason after years of lackluster free agent signings, and it'll likely be desperate for pitching. Nick Pivetta is an impending free agent, Lucas Giolito hasn't pitched all season and Garrett Whitlock will be recovering from Tommy John surgery well into the 2025 slate — the Red Sox will need experienced, quality pitching to get them through the season. Burnes may be the best choice.
“I think I can provide value in helping to elevate some young guys on the staff. Is it a group of young pitchers where maybe they missed the postseason this year but they have the pieces to do it now and for the long term?" Burnes said to The Athletic. "But you never know what’s going to happen each year in baseball. So you just want to provide yourself the best chance to win, hopefully for your entire tenure, hopefully for most of your tenure, whatever it is."
Burnes shared that he's embraced a veteran and mentor role in the clubhouse. The right-hander shares his tips for mental toughness with the Orioles' young staff and he hopes to do the same with his next ballclub.
The top 10 @MLB free agents this offseason (plus one bonus!) https://t.co/Xcm6gdhvhr
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) August 21, 2024
Corbin Burnes' recent comments suggest Red Sox could be a top choice in free agency
It has to be said that Burnes' comments could apply to multiple teams across the league, including the team he's already on. If the Orioles hope to sign Burnes after he reaches free agency, they may have a leg-up on a few other contenders based on the pitcher's comments.
But the Red Sox have three talented young pitchers in their rotation who could use veteran stewardship and two of them got a lot of attention from national media early in the season. Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford received national attention for their unexpectedly low early-season ERAs, and Houck went on to be an All-Star beside Burnes for the American League squad.
Brayan Bello has gone through rough patches this year, but Boston extended him early in the 2024 slate — the young righty is mentored by Pedro Martinez, and the Sox's front office sees potential in him. At the trade deadline, Boston acquired former first-round draft pick Quinn Priester, who is also expected to have big-league starter potential.
If Burnes hopes to be a positive influence on a group of up-and-coming pitchers, the Red Sox would be a great fit for him for seasons to come. One of Craig Breslow's missions as chief baseball officer is to revamp Boston's less-than-successful pitching program, and Burnes' knowledge would be a huge asset to him.