Shortly before the calendar flipped from 2024 to 2025, the Baltimore Orioles learned their association with Corbin Burnes was a one-year partnership just like the New York Yankees and their time with Juan Soto.
While Burnes did not sign for Soto money, the former Cy Young Award winner wound up getting a six-year,$210 million deal from the Arizona Diamondbacks, a contract that enables him to stay near his home base.
Pivoting from losing a prominent free agent can mean different things.
The Yankees quickly turned their focus to signing Max Fried on an eight-year, $218 million deal along with adding Cody Bellinger and Devin Williams in trade and signing Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year, $12.5 million deal.
About a week after seeing Burnes turn down a reported franchise-record offer from the Orioles, the AL East runner-up made a move in signing Charlie Morton to a one-year, $15 million deal. It is a move seen not necessarily as a full pivot from losing Burnes but a transaction to give the Orioles more options with the possibility of further additions.
Beyond Burnes, the Orioles used 10 other starters excluding openers last season and their overall ERA of 3.77 from their starters was tied for fifth with the Chicago Cubs, only behind the Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves and Detroit Tigers. And their 62 wins from starters were third in the majors only behind the Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies.
Not including Burnes, who won 15 games and allowed 63 earned runs in his 194 1/3 innings, Baltimore’s numbers from starters are not as good. Excluding Burnes, the rotation ERA is 4.01, which would be in the middle of the pack.
