The Baltimore Orioles made one of the biggest splashes of the 2023 offseason, landing Corbin Burnes in a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. The Orioles filled their biggest need by making this trade, but by acquiring Burnes, they risked having him for just one year.
The one year of Burnes could not have been much better, as he finished in the top five in AL Cy Young balloting and dominated in his lone postseason start, but now, the right-hander is a free agent, and it's unclear as to whether he'll remain in Baltimore long-term.
If money was no object, Burnes would undoubtedly be with the Orioles for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, money is crucial, and even with a new ownership group in place, his price tag might be too high for Baltimore to consider.
Bringing Burnes back should be priority No. 1 for Baltimore, but fortunately, there are other high-end arms for Mike Elias to consider if Burnes lands elsewhere. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com links one of them - Max Fried - to Baltimore.
"Baltimore finally found the ace it had been missing last season with the trade for Corbin Burnes, but he’s a free agent now, potentially leaving a huge hole atop the rotation. Should Burnes prove too expensive or simply sign elsewhere, Fried could be the perfect replacement," Feinsand wrote.
If the Orioles fail to re-sign Corbin Burnes, Max Fried could be the perfect replacement
Losing Burnes, one of the best pitchers in baseball, would be a tough pill to swallow, but having Fried available as a potential cheaper consolation prize is very nice.
Fried has spent his entire eight-year career with the Atlanta Braves thus far, and developed into one of the best pitchers in the National League during his time there. He's coming off a season that saw him post a 3.25 ERA in 29 starts and 174.1 innings of work. He was named an All-Star for the second time in his career.
He isn't Burnes, but Fried is a three-time Gold Glove winner, has finished in the top five of the NL Cy Young balloting twice, and is a World Series champion. Fried not only has a sparkling 3.09 ERA in 168 MLB appearances, but he has tons of big-game experience and 20 postseason appearances under his belt.
Fried would be a slight downgrade from Burnes, but there's no denying that he's more than capable when it comes to leading a rotation. If the Orioles miss out on a Burnes reunion, they can't do much better than Fried, who is as consistent as they come.