At the end of each season, a new set of free agents becomes available to teams. According to The Athletic’s Jim Bowdenthe Dodgers are linked to four-time MLB All-Star pitcher Corbin Burnes.

In 2024, Burnes earned a salary of $15.64 million. Bowden believes Burnes could land a contract of equal or greater caliber than Stephen Strasburg (7 years, $254 million), Jacob deGrom (5 years, $185 million) and Aaron Nola (7 years, $172 million). dollars). Bowden’s projection for Burnes’ contract is 7 years, or $247 million.

Burnes, 29, is a right-handed starting pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles. He spent his first six seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, where he moved from reliever to starter between 2020 and 2021. In his first season as a full-time starting pitcher, Burnes won the League Cy Young Award national 2021 after recording a score of 2.43. ERA with 234 strikeouts in 28 starts.

Since becoming a starting pitcher, Burnes has kept his ERA below 3.00 every season except 2023 when he accumulated a 3.39 ERA. Although Burnes has only won once, this season will be Burnes’ fifth consecutive year among the top eight in Cy Young Award voting. In 138 career starts, Burnes is 60-39 with a 3.19 ERA.

In September, Burnes earned his second career Pitcher of the Month honor. He was named American League Pitcher of the Month, becoming the first Orioles pitcher to win the award since July 2007. longest pitching streak of the month for any MLB franchise. He is also the first right-handed pitcher from Baltimore to win since April 1994.

The Brewers traded Burnes to the Orioles in February in exchange for shortstop Joey Ortiz, left-handed pitcher DL Hall and future considerations. In Milwaukee, Burnes was the Brewers’ Pitcher of the Year in all three seasons he was a starting pitcher (2021-23). In 2020, he was named Brewers MVP as a relief pitcher. These honors represent Burnes’ versatility in the rotation and in the bullpen.

Burnes also offers durability, which has been lacking in the Dodgers’ starting rotation this season. The 2021 All-MLB first-team selection has pitched at least 167 innings in each of the last four seasons.

Given these factors, Burnes will likely be the top target for free agent pitchers this offseason. If the Dodgers fail to acquire Burnes, Bowden named the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox as potential candidates. Another option Bowden suggested was for Burnes to stay with the Orioles.