Boras: Burnes 'in very close contact' with Orioles
Agent Scott Boras isn't closing the door on his client Corbin Burnes re-signing with the Baltimore Orioles this offseason.
“We’ve been in very close contact with (general manager) Mike Elias and talking to him regularly," Boras said, according to Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com.
"He’s made it very clear under this ownership they’re going to take steps forward that they haven’t taken in the past.”
The Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, and Toronto Blue Jays remain in the mix for the talented right-hander, Dubroff reports.
A marquee free agent like Burnes re-upping with the Orioles would have never been possible under their previous regime. But things appear different under their new owner, David Rubenstein.
Baltimore has already made a splash this winter by inking Tyler O'Neill, another Boras client, to a three-year, $49.5-million contract.
“Well, the addition of Tyler to this already very competitive group says a lot about what the Orioles want to do,” Boras said.
“Why players go places has a lot to do with their winning component. But really this boils down to ownership. When you have competitiveness in a market, ownership has to respond."
Boras also represents three of the Orioles' young stars: Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, and Jordan Westburg.
Burnes, who has a Cy Young Award to his name, is expected to command a lucrative deal exceeding the eight-year, $218-million contract Max Fried signed with the New York Yankees earlier this offseason.
The 30-year-old pitched to a sparkling 2.92 ERA (128 ERA+) and 1.10 WHIP with 181 strikeouts in 32 starts with the Orioles in 2024.