The Yankees’ path to another American League East title became a little clearer over the weekend.
Corbin Burnes, who dominated as the Baltimore Orioles’ ace last season, reached a six-year, $210 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
It was a major blow to the Orioles, who badly wanted Burnes back.
Burnes, who owns a home in Scottsdale, Ariz., took less money to join the Diamondbacks, as USA Today reported he could have signed a seven-year, $250 million pact with an AL East club.
The Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays were reportedly among the teams who considered giving Burnes a franchise-record contract.
But Burnes chose the Diamondbacks, who included an opt-out clause after the second year of the contract, removing the right-hander from the AL East after only one season and leaving the Orioles and Blue Jays without an obvious pivot.
Baltimore acquired Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers in February for two touted prospects and a 2024 draft pick, hoping the 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner would help them take the next step after a 101-win season in 2023.
Burnes, 30, delivered with a 15-9 record, a 2.92 ERA and 181 strikeouts in 194.1 innings en route to a fifth-place finish in AL Cy Young voting.
He helped keep an injury-ravaged Orioles rotation afloat amid Baltimore’s divisional dogfight with the Yankees, who ultimately won the AL East by three games.
And now, Burnes’ exit leaves Baltimore without a clear No. 1 starter.
Kyle Bradish underwent Tommy John surgery in June and likely won’t be back before July.
Zach Eflin posted a 2.60 ERA in nine starts with the Orioles after arriving in a midseason trade with the Tampa Bay Rays but owns a 4.17 ERA over nine career seasons.
Grayson Rodriguez, not far removed from being among MLB’s top prospects, went 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA during his sophomore season in 2024, but he missed the final two months with his second teres major/lat muscle injury in three years.
There are not many external options to replace Burnes.
He was the last of the free-agent aces to come off the board, following Blake Snell, who signed a five-year, $182 million contract with Los Angeles Dodgers, and Max Fried, who joined the Yankees for eight years and $218 million.
Jack Flaherty, who struggled with the Orioles in 2023, is among the top remaining free-agent pitchers, as is 41-year-old Justin Verlander, who grew up about 150 miles from Baltimore in Richmond, Va.
Seattle Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo headlines the rumored trade candidates.
Regardless of how Baltimore fills Burnes’ void, it is unlikely to be with anyone of his caliber. Burnes’ 2.88 ERA since the start of 2020 is the best among qualified starters, while his 816.2 innings are the third most in baseball.
Baltimore’s loaded lineup led by Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman will also likely look different in 2025. The Orioles signed outfielder Tyler O’Neill to a three-year, $49.5 million contract, making them less likely to bring back free-agent outfielder Anthony Santander, who led the O’s with 44 home runs last season.
The Blue Jays, meanwhile, continue to miss out on top free agents. They failed to sign Shohei Ohtani last offseason, then came short of signing Juan Soto this winter.
Fresh off a last-place finish in the AL East, the Jays (74-88) have their work cut out if they intend to compete in the AL East in 2025, which is the final year they have Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette under contract.
The Boston Red Sox, meanwhile, rebuilt their rotation with a blockbuster trade for Garrett Crochet and with the short-term signings of Walker Buelher and Patrick Sandoval, who are both coming off down 2024 seasons.
But the Red Sox went just 81-81 last season and are yet to upgrade their offense after losing O’Neill to the Orioles and failing to sign Soto or, to a lesser extent, Teoscar Hernández.
All of that spells a win for the Yankees, who, too, are going to look different in 2025.
They missed out on re-signing their top offseason priority, Soto, whose career-high 41 home runs in his lone season in pinstripes preceded a record-setting 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets.
Soto’s prolific production will be impossible to replace, but the Yankees pivoted by signing Fried, a two-time All-Star with a career 3.07 ERA. Fried’s addition to a starting staff also featuring Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt gives the Yankees, on paper, the best rotation in the division.
The Yankees also upgraded their bullpen by trading for closer Devin Williams; at first base by signing Paul Goldschmidt; and defensively with their trade for outfielder Cody Bellinger.
And while they — and the rest of the division — have more moves to make, Burnes’ Baltimore departure is clearly a boon for the Yankees’ AL East odds.
