Here's Why the Yankees Might Pursue Corbin Burnes This Offseason

Don't count out the New York Yankees when it comes to signing Corbin Burnes in free agency.

Aug 4, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Corbin Burnes (39) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | David Dermer-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees secured their ace this offseason when they re-signed Gerrit Cole. Now they can turn their attention toward re-signing superstar slugger Juan Soto.

The Yankees' starting pitching was solid during the 2024 regular season, which is shown by their 3.85 team ERA being 11th-best in MLB.

However, that won't stop them stop bolstering their rotation this offseason if the opportunity presents itself. And The Athletic's Chad Jennings and Sam Blum conveyed why that opportunity might come in the form of former Baltimore Orioles ace and 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes in a November 13 article.

The Yankees have checked in on Max Fried, Corbin Burnes and Blake Snell, per @JonHeyman pic.twitter.com/ySMJsPKwtI

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) November 7, 2024

"It feels impossible, every offseason, to rule out the Yankees on anyone. That said, they seem clearly to have their eyes set on a different top-of-the-market target. Surely, Juan Soto is the priority. But does that rule out Burnes? Could Burnes be a consolation prize if Soto ends up in Queens or D.C. or San Francisco?" the article wrote.

The Yankees don’t necessarily need a starting pitcher. Gerrit Cole is coming back, and they invested a few years ago in Carlos Rodón. Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt seem locked into rotation jobs, and Marcus Stroman will be back for another year. They also still have Nestor Cortes and some depth options in Triple A," the article continued.

"But, again, it’s hard to count out the Yankees on anyone. They might be the longshot on this list — we left out the Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros, Washington Nationals, etc. — but they remain the Yankees. It’s hard to completely dismiss them when a Cy Young winner hits the open market."

Burnes only has three appearances against the Yankees in his career. While he has a 0-2 record in those outings, the 1.42 ERA and 22 strikeouts he boasts across 19 innings shows that his winless record against New York isn't his fault.

A rotation featuring both Cole and Burnes would intimidate any offense.