BIG NEWS: The Yankees are targeting one of baseball’s best pitchers this offseason.
While the New York Yankees still plan to play a lot of baseball this season, the impending offseason — which will be crucial for New York — is drawing closer by the day.
While current Yankees outfielder Juan Soto is the most sought-after free agent, there are a few more exceptional talents who will hit the open market.
Among them is Corbin Burnes, the current Baltimore Orioles ace.
Burnes signed a one-year, $15,637,000 contract with the Milwaukee Brewers in January and was traded to the Orioles less than a month later. And the 2021 NL Cy Young winner has been outstanding for Baltimore this season, posting a 13-7 record, 3.19 ERA, and 154 strikeouts in 169.1 innings thrown.
But he’s about to become an unrestricted free agent. According to a September 4 Bleacher Report report by Zachary Rymer, the Yankees are among the top ten most likely landing locations for the four-time All-Star next season.
“Though they reportedly refused to part with Spencer Jones in a trade with the Brewers, the Yankees were nonetheless in on Burnes last winter,” Rymer stated in an email.
“Maybe they’ll circle back this winter, but presumably only if circumstances result in Gerrit Cole reaching free agency,” a source said.
This last point explains why Rymer ranks the Yankees as Burnes’ tenth most likely destination. The “circumstances” referred to are both Cole and the Yankees declining their respective options this offseason, which is extremely unlikely.
Given Aaron Judge’s enormous contract last summer, the Yankees would struggle to find enough money for Juan Soto, Gerrit Cole, and Corbin Burnes this offseason if they wanted to field a competitive squad outside of these four superstars.
However, if Cole becomes a free agency and signs elsewhere, expect New York to go all in on securing Corbin Burne.
