According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Yankees have begun kicking tires on Corbin Burnes as the team met with him today over a Zoom call. The right-hander pitched with the Baltimore Orioles last season where he posted a 2.92 ERA across 194.1 innings pitched, striking out 181 batters and tossing a gem in his lone start of the postseason. Most assume the right-hander is a pivot option if the team is unable to reach an agreement with Juan Soto in free agency, and his market likely won’t heat up until the star outfielder signs.
This comes after hearing about a productive meeting the team had with LHP Max Fried, who is also seen as a potential pivot option if the team loses out on Soto.
Corbin Burnes Meets With Yankees, New York Keeping Tabs On Options
You can add Corbin Burnes to the group of names consisting of Willy Adames and Max Fried whom the Yankees could pounce on if they miss out on Juan Soto. The star outfielder remains their priority and they feel good about their chances to retain him, but as a decision nears they’re making sure to talk to any and all targets.
Is it a leverage play to put pressure on Scott Boras? Are the Yankees trying to hint that they’re out on Juan Soto? It’s likely not deeper than just due diligence, as the team will cover all the bases and speak with all top free agents. Perhaps there’s a bit of leverage or showing their hand in this, but the Yankees only seem to pivot to other players once they know they’re out of the sweepstakes.
Jeff Passan of ESPN included the Yankees in the five-team race for Juan Soto, and many expect a resolution to come in the next few days, with some believing he could earn a contract north of $700 million.
If the Yankees are unable to meet that kind of money, they have some options they could consider pivoting to in order to spread the wealth. Burnes is a former Cy Young winner and would complement Gerrit Cole well at the top of the rotation, but he’s not the only starter the team is looking at. Max Fried is another pitcher drawing interest from the Yankees, with three other AL East teams known to be interested in his services.
Willy Adames is seen as a potential pivot option as well if the team strikes out on Juan Soto, although it wouldn’t address their outfield needs. The Yankees will have a critical and franchise-defining weekend where they will find out if they can continue to call themselves the Mecca of Baseball or not; and it seems to all hinge on the decision of a 26-year-old superstar outfielder.