One of the best starting pitchers in free agency this winter has officially found a new home. Former Baltimore Orioles ace Corbin Burnes has agreed to a six-year, $210 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman.
Burnes has an opt-out in his contract after two seasons, per Heyman. With this move, the Diamondbacks add the ace that they needed to get back into contention in the National League.
Burnes spent one season with the Orioles after a very successful six-year stint with the Milwaukee Brewers. The 2021 Cy Young Award winner has been selected to the All-Star game in each of the last four seasons and should immediately make a big impact in Arizona.
The move to Arizona initially came as a surprise for a player of Burnes’ caliber, but the right-hander lives in Scottsdale in his free time according to MLB Network insider Mark Feinsand. The draw to Arizona for Burnes is understandable because of this.
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Burnes had a good season last year with the Orioles, finishing with a 15-9 record in 32 starts. He was able to keep his ERA below three at 2.92 and struck out 181 batters to just 48 walks in 194.1 innings. He pitched a gem in his only playoff start last season, giving up just one run against the Kansas City Royals in eight innings despite taking a loss.
Burnes has been consistently one of the best pitchers in baseball over the last four seasons since emerging as a star, but his 2021 season stands out as one of the best by a pitcher this decade. Burnes finished that season with an MLB-leading 2.43 ERA in 28 starts. He struck out 234 batters to just 34 walks and was nearly un-hittable for most of the season.
This season, Burnes showed that he can be the type of ace that can carry a team through a playoff run, even though his offense let him down. For a Diamondbacks team that is looking to get back to the World Series after falling short at that stage in 2023, this could be exactly what they need.
