The Chicago Cubs are rumored to be a top-five suitor for free agent superstar Corbin Burnes
In a Bleacher Report article published early on Monday, the Chicago Cubs were a team listed as a top five suitor for Burnes according to the rumor mill. The right-hander is coming off a year in Baltimore following an offseason trade from the Brewers last winter.
Burnes made 32 starts in an O’s uniform in 2024 and posted a 15-9 record. The now 30-year-old tossed 194.1 innings, had a 2.92 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. The ERA mark was a massive improvement from 2023, and his WAR only dipped down ever so slightly from 3.5 to 3.4.
The 15 wins for Burnes is the most he has ever had in a single campaign, with 12 in 2022 being the next closest total. 2024 was the fourth straight season where Burnes was named to an all-star team. Despite going over 190 frames on the hill in three of his last four seasons, teams are still flocking to get a sit-down conversation with Burnes in an attempt to get his services for the long haul.
Corbin Burnes joining the Chicago Cubs would create a reunion
Burnes spent the first six seasons of his career as a rival of the Chicago Cubs. The former Milwaukee Brewer would reunite with his old skipper if the Chicago Cubs are lucky enough to ink him. It is known that Craig Counsell and Burnes have a great relationship and it is one that could definitely help the franchise in their efforts to bring the right-hander back to the NL Central.
Burnes won a CY Young award with the Brewers back in the 2021 campaign. In 28 starts, he posted an 11-5 record and plenty of career bests. This includes his 5.3 WAR, 2.43 ERA, 1.63 FIP, and 12.6 SO per nine. Chicago Cubs fans are used to Burnes giving them fits and would surely welcome a chance to return the favor to the fan base two hours north.
The Chicago Cubs should have a sense of urgency when pursuing Corbin Burnes
With the news of Walker Buehler signing a one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox on Monday, the Chicago Cubs are running out of options if they want to add a top-of-the-line right-hander this offseason in the free agent market.
The remaining options for the Chicago Cubs are either Burnes or Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki. Each arm comes at a different price, but there are similar obstacles to both sweepstakes. With Sasaki, his contract won’t be a super expensive one, so more organizations will gain seats at the table in his bidding. When it comes to Burnes, he will cost quite a lot. This means that the Chicago Cubs will have to fight against the big powers of Major League Baseball to secure Burnes in their rotation.
Burnes would make a strong case to be the ace of the staff in Wrigleyville. Even though Justin Steele has cemented himself as a franchise mainstay over the past couple of seasons, he doesn’t have the resume that Burnes does.
Shota Imanaga had a fantastic start to his MLB career in 2024, and would instantly become the Chicago Cubs number three starter if Burnes joined the fray. Jameson Taillon currently sits as the lone right-hander in the rotation without the addition of a guy like Burnes or Sasaki. Matthew Boyd rounds out the current rotation after inking a two-year contract in early Decemeber.
Whether he would be the number one or two starter, Burnes would lock the Chicago Cubs in as one of the top starting pitching staffs in all of baseball. Seeing rumors that having him on the organizations’ radar is a good sign, but it is all talk right now until a meeting is reported or a deal is put on the table.
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