Baltimore Orioles ‘Doubtful’ To Re-Sign Ace Due to Spending Issues

The Baltimore Orioles have focused on Corbin Burnes, but they knew a year ago how competitive his market would be when they traded for him. Burnes, arguably the best pitcher in Major League Baseball, is expected to land a lofty contract.

It remains uncertain how high the figure could go, but some have predicted it to be over $250 million. If a team loses out on Juan Soto and wants to spend money on pitching, Burnes may get a bit over $250 million.

The Orioles have never spent that type of money. From top to bottom, they have a long way to go before they can compete with the New York, California, and other big-market squads.

It's the unfortunate reality of being a small market team, and while that doesn't give them any excuse not to re-sign Burnes, it isn't as easy as other clubs make it out to be.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, despite the new ownership, led by David Rubenstein, Baltimore's spending power might hurt its chances of retaining Burnes. The team has reportedly started offering other free-agent starters.

"In a perfect world, Baltimore would re-sign Burnes. But even under new ownership, it seems doubtful the Orioles will outbid the Soto also-rans, all of whom will be itching to spend. So, Baltimore has been active on other fronts, extending offers to multiple free-agent starting pitchers," he wrote.

It's tough to hear the Orioles likely won't bring Burnes back, but at least they're looking to improve in other ways.

Rosenthal added that there's a scenario where Baltimore could add two starters. He wrote that it might be tough, but it shouldn't be counted out.

"It’s conceivable the Orioles could land two starters, each at average annual values of more than $10 million," Rosenthal wrote. "But such an outcome is not particularly likely."

Starters are arguably the most valuable players in baseball, and that was evident during the trade deadline when multiple below-average to average starters were traded for massive packages. Even an older veteran like a Nathan Eovaldi, who is on the market, is expected to command closer to $20 million per year, if he inks a multi-year deal.

If one thing is on the Orioles' side, it's their farm system. Not having money to spend brings many challenges, but if they find a young, controllable arm in a trade, they might not have to worry much about spending money.

That'd be the best outcome, given the front office seems to be working under a budget again this offseason.