A top-shelf MLB ace is demanding big bucks on his next deal in free agency, and the Toronto Blue Jays could meet him where he wants to be met.
Blue Jays could gift ace Corbin Burnes with his desired deal
According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, superstar free agent hurler Corbin Burnes is seeking a deal worth “at least” $245 million (h/t B/R Walk-Off). Further, Feinsand shed light on how the gargantuan price tag stacks up with the largest guaranteed contracts in big league history among starting pitchers, saying this (h/t CBS Sports’ Dayn Perry):
“According to sources, Burnes is seeking a deal worth at least $245 million, which would match the seven-year, $245 million deal Stephen Strasburg signed in December 2019 as the third-highest guaranteed contract in history for a starting pitcher,” Feinsand wrote.
Burnes’ productivity & stuff can turn the Blue Jays around
Burnes is an elite starter in the big leagues. The former 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner had another standout season in 2024, tossing 181 strikeouts and earning a 2.92 ERA on his way to a 15-9 record for the Baltimore Orioles.
Those numbers, coupled with his clean 1.096 WHIP and his praiseworthy stuff — a 97 mph fastball (91st percentile), 48.8 percent ground ball rate (81st percentile) and 33 percent chase percentage (89th percentile) are all more than reason enough for the 30-year-old to value himself at $245 million and place himself in the same company as Strasburg, who has a great chance of earning a Baseball Hall of Fame ballot somewhere down the line.
The Blue Jays have the capital to bring Burnes on board
The Blue Jays could upgrade their rotation immeasurably by bringing the former 2022 NL strikeouts leader on board. Financially, they have a projected payroll table for 2025 forecasted at $193.09 million by Spotrac, which could near $200 million if they up their offer to superstar slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. In the event that they give Burnes his desired amount over seven years, that would bring their payroll up to around $230 million when accounting for the average of $35 million that his deal would take up on their books.
If the Blue Jays are serious about contending as soon as next year, then Burnes would be an optimal option to revamp a rotation in Toronto that sported the ninth-worst ERA (4.29) and the sixth-fewest strikeouts (1,314 Ks) on the previous campaign.
