MLB Rumors: Orioles to acquire Corbin Burnes this offseason?
The Baltimore Orioles shocked the baseball world for not only making the postseason with a 101-61 record but clinching the No. 1 seed in the entire American League. Yet, even with the first-round bye, the team was swept by the Texas Rangers, the eventual AL pennant winners, in the Division Series.
Even with the early exit, there is a lot for the Orioles to be proud of, and considering the young roster they have, they can make a push to add some big-name talent to ensure they make it back to the playoffs, but with the hope of winning a World Series title.
But who could the Orioles target?
While hosting a chat about the Orioles' "Offseason Outlook," MLB Trade Rumors' Mark Polishuk wrote that he believes the team is likely to get a Corbin Burnes or Shane Beiber-like pitcher this offseason. When one fan wrote about not seeing the fit due to the presence of Grayson Rodriguez and Kyle Bradish, Polishik made the case for Burnes, the Milwaukee Brewers pitcher.
"Obviously the hope is that Rodriguez can quickly become a frontline ace, and Bradish's development is fantastic for Baltimore," writes Polishuk. "Between these two, Means, and Kremer, that's a solid starting four right there. That said, adding someone like a Corbin Burnes obviously makes this rotation a lot better. Even if the O's aren't willing to sign a free agent pitcher to a big long-term deal, going to get a one-year splurge like Burnes or [Shane] Bieber makes a lot of sense."
Burnes is under team control for one more year, as he is set to have an arbitration hearing before the 2024 season. After that, he becomes a free agent once next season concludes. The relationship between Burnes and the Brewers is already strained, as the ace expressed his displeasure over how last year's arbitration hearing ended. With that, the Brewers are on the clock to either trade him or sign him to a contract extension.
In 32 starts this season, Burnes recorded a 3.39 ERA, an NL-leading 1.069 WHIP, a 10-8 win-loss record, 200 strikeouts, and 66 walks through 193.2 innings.
Burnes would be a coveted player if the Brewers were to shop him to teams. For the Orioles, he would provide a spark to their starting rotation, which would help in a tough AL East division.
MLB Rumors: Could the Phillies trade on from Nick Castellanos?
The Philadelphia Phillies were close to winning the National League pennant for the second consecutive year. With a 3-2 NL Championship Series lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks, all they had to do was pick up a win at home to secure a World Series berth. The problem is the team lost 5-1 in Game 6 and 4-2 in Game 7 to get eliminated from the postseason.
With that, the Phillies have to figure out what to do with their roster before the 2024 season. After all, they could lose two mainstays in starting pitcher Aaron Nola and first baseman Rhys Hoskins this winter. But could they explore moving on from one of their big players?
Inside the Phillies' Brad Wakai floated the idea of the team trading outfielder Nick Castellanos to free up money to spend in the offseason.
"If Dombrowski feels like he can upgrade the roster by making trades, Castellanos is likely first on the list to be shipped out of town.
"The Phillies' executive has made it clear that they are looking to add more pitching depth, whether that's by re-signing Aaron Nola or adding more pieces in free agency. Getting Castellanos' contract off the books could help them meet the large figure that Nola will be looking for this offseason."
Back in 2022, the Phillies signed Castellanos to a five-year, $100 million contract in hopes that he would contribute in the postseason. As Wakai points out in the article linked above, Castellanos really hasn't done that. While he did shine in the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves this year with four home runs in the four-game series, Castellanos was just 1-for-24 with 11 strikeouts in the NLCS against the Diamondbacks.
If the Phillies were to move on from Castellanos, however, he is still owed $60 million over the next three seasons. After all, his entire contract is fully guaranteed. The Phillies would need a team to either take on the remaining salary, or eat some of it.
MLB Rumors: 3 favorites to land Shohei Ohtani this offseason revealed
This winter, the most coveted free agent will be Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who is a top slugger and starting pitcher in the American League. The expectation is that Ohtani will be the first player to receive a $500 million contract, even though he won't be pitching in the entire 2024 season. There is no doubt that there will be multiple teams trying to persuade Ohtani to sign with them. But who is considered the favorite?
New York Post MLB insider Jon Heyman revealed an updated version of his odds board for the team to land Ohtani. In terms of favorites, Heyman has the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, and the American League champion Texas Rangers tied for the best odds to land Ohtani at 6-1.
The Dodgers aren't really a surprise, as they have long been considered the favorites to sign Ohtani this winter. Not to mention they are, besides this past offseason, always in the market for the best players available.
The Giants, well, they have been linked to every top free agent in recent offseasons but failed to land one (i.e. Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, etc.). Heyman does mention that Oracle Park could be a factor in Ohtani not signing with the Giants, considering it's "tough on left-handed hitters."
The Rangers are no strangers to spending big money, considering the amount they spent in free agency in recent years to bring in Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and Jacob deGrom. The Rangers are paying their big-name players big bucks, but they aren't paying the likes of Evan Carter, Jonah Heim, or Josh Jung huge money just yet, so there still could be room to bring in a gargantuan Ohtani contract. Heyman says that the Rangers have actually had their eyes on Ohtani for a while.
"They got a taste of winning, are unafraid to spend, and made their first cut six years ago," writes Heyman. "Word is they were ready to go for Ohtani at midseason."
Make no mistake about it, Ohtani will be a huge domino that will have to fall this winter, then there should be a mad dash by teams who failed to land him to sign other players.