El rompimiento: Los Yankees están previstos para firmar un acuerdo de $288 millones con el All-Star Ace.

The madness that was the MLB trade deadline is now officially behind us. While teams like the New York Yankees are still concentrating on 2024, general manager Brian Cashman may be planning to make some major free agent moves this winter. Is Corbin Burnes, the ace of the Baltimore Orioles right now, at the top of his list?

Tyler Ward talked about possible winter destinations for some of baseball’s greatest stars during a live broadcast on Bleacher Report. Of the six players he spoke about, Ward projected that Burnes would sign a mega-deal with the Yankees as a free agent.

After winning the National League Cy Young Award in 2021, Burnes is having a great season in his debut year with the Orioles. With a 2.47 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 128 strikeouts in 138.2 innings, he has an 11-4 record. In 2024, he was selected as an All-Star and became the starting pitcher for the American League.

This winter, the right-hander is anticipated to be among the best players available on the free-agent market. Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report believes the pitcher might negotiate a contract worth up to $288 million spread over eight years.

How Corbin Burnes Would Improve the Opening Lineup for the Yankees
Since 2020, Burnes has emerged as one of baseball’s most reliable aces. Over his last 761 innings pitched, he has a 2.79 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, and 893 strikeouts. What’s more, he’s taken the ball almost every other day.

With the exception of the 2020 season, which was cut short due to the pandemic, Burnes started at least 28 games in 2021–2023. In 2024, he has already made 22 starts, thus this run is probably going to last for another season.

FanGraphs’ Roster Resource indicates that the Yankees will have contracts with Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt, Luis Gil, Marcus Stroman, and Nestor Cortes through at least 2025. Of course, that doesn’t include Gerrit Cole, who has the option to opt out of the final four years and $144 million of his $324 million deal this winter unless the Yankees commit an additional $36 million to him in 2029. Burnes’ signing would provide the Bombers with a new, dependable ace, but if Cole chose to stay, it would give the Yankees a potent one-two punch at the top of their rotation.

This Won’t Probably Be New York’s Top Offseason Priority: With the MLB offseason still four months away, the Yankees’ priorities are likely to change significantly before then. Still, it’s safe to assume that Cashman’s winter to-do list won’t be topped by signing outfielder Juan Soto, who could sign for a contract worth $500 million or more upon hitting free agency this winter. Soto was also one of the players Ward discussed during his Bleacher Report live stream, during which he predicted the New York Mets would sign the left-handed slugger, potentially giving the Yankees more flexibility to sign Burnes to a big contract.