Blue Jays have a sneaky Corbin Burnes edge Ross Atkins deserves no credit for

The Toronto Blue Jays are one of several teams in on Corbin Burnes, who could very well wait until January or later to pick a new team. Rather than losing potential suitors, Burnes has only become more coveted as the winter has gone along.

Namely, the Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants are all in on Burnes. Of those teams, the Blue Jays, Giants and Orioles are in desperate need of an ace.

The Blue Jays have an instant edge, as it's no secret the division rival Orioles don't plan on spending Burnes money. Burnes reportedly wants upwards on $250 million – so similar to the contract Stephen Strasburg received with the Washington Nationals a half-decade ago.

"Burnes, from what I understand, is looking for somewhere along the lines of the Stephen Strasburg deal from five years ago, $245 million," Mark Feinsand said Monday on MLB Network.

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Blue Jays should be favored to land Corbin Burnes, and they're out of excuses

That is not a cheap asking price. The Orioles believe in their young core even without Burnes, and they feel confident enough in their farm system to trade from it if absolutely necessary. The San Francisco Giants are perhaps the most viable competition to the Blue Jays for Burnes, but Buster Posey already signed Willy Adames and extended Matt Chapman in the last few months. The Giants are feeling the heat, per Feinsand.

"The Giants were said to be very interested," Feinsaid said. "I was told they had an offer out there that did not quite approach that number. It remains to be seen if they are willing to move that number up or potentially move elsewhere and look for other alternatives."

Ross Atkins and the Blue Jays have their number to beat, and by all accounts no limitations from ownership to spend. So, what's the holdup?

The longer Atkins and the Jays wait, the greater the competition for Burnes could be, thus increasing his asking price. Toronto is the natural fit for the 30-year-old, despite his California ties.