Corbin Burnes reportedly seeking enormous contract in free agency

Sep 11, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Corbin Burnes (39) walks off the mound in the third inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

A new report shed some light on why free agent pitcher Corbin Burnes has yet to find a new team.

Burnes is seeking at least $245 million in free agency, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. That guarantee would match what Stephen Strasburg got from the Washington Nationals in 2019, which remains the third-highest guaranteed contract in history for a starting pitcher. Only Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s contract with the Dodgers and Gerrit Cole’s deal with the Yankees have been worth more.

The San Francisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jays are said to be the two teams with the most interest in Burnes. The Giants have an offer on the table and have been named as a favorite before, but Burnes has not taken it, and the organization could move on to other targets if that does not change.

Burnes has been an outstanding pitcher for virtually his entire career, and only just turned 30 in October. That has emboldened him to seek a huge amount of money, but teams have been reluctant to commit so much money long-term for free agent pitchers in recent years. He might have to settle for less than that as a result.

Burnes posted a 2.92 ERA for the Orioles in 2024 and made his fourth consecutive All-Star team. His 8.4 strikeouts per nine, however, was the lowest mark of his career since his rookie season.