Dodgers $80 Million Ace Could Be Top Corbin Burnes Backup Plan For Contenders
The Corbin Burnes sweepstakes is likely down to three teams: the San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays. Each of these three teams has the money, need, and aggressiveness to realistically pursue Burnes on a contract worth north of $250 million. But only one team can sign the former Cy Young winner. What will the two other teams do after they miss out on Burnes?
The top backup plan left on the market is Los Angeles Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty. Jon Heyman of the New York Post projects Flaherty to sign a four-year, $80 million deal.
It’s unlikely the Dodgers re-sign the righty this winter. Los Angeles has already added Blake Snell and it’s expecting to return Shohei Ohtani to the mound in 2025. Flaherty is the odd man out, alongside Walker Buehler, who’s already signed a contract with the Red Sox. That leaves Flaherty to be the backup plan for the Burnes suitors, which could land him a nine-figure contract.
The Red Sox don’t need a starter as badly as the other two Burnes suitors. If Boston misses on Burnes, it’s unlikely they fork up the cash to bring in Flaherty.
Toronto needs to add talent as much as any team in the league. The Blue Jays whiffed on Juan Soto and haven’t recovered. If the Blue Jays want any chance to re-sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr. next winter, it starts by building a contender right now.
Adding Burnes would be a huge addition, but Flaherty isn’t a bad backup option. The Giants are the favorites to land Burnes. But if they whiff on him, it wouldn’t be shocking to see San Francisco pivot to the former Dodgers starter.
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Dodgers Criticized For Odd, ‘Petty’ Handling Of $70 Million Star Free Agent
Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández is coming off one of the best years of his big league career. The star outfielder is a free agent this winter, but he’s been very vocal that he wants to return to the Dodgers and chase more World Series titles. So, why haven’t the Dodgers re-signed the 32-year-old outfielder yet? FanSided’s Zachary Rotman labeled it as the Dodgers being petty.
Rotman shared the same confusion as to why Hernández hasn’t been re-signed yet. “The 32-year-old is looking for a three-year deal worth roughly $23 million annually,” Rotman wrote. “This is a guy who set career highs with 33 home runs and 4.3 bWAR this past season. He drove in 99 runs, had a .840 OPS, was an All-Star, and won a Silver Slugger. Hernandez hit in the middle of the Dodgers’ order virtually all season long, consistently coming through when the team needed him to.
In what world is an All-Star not worth roughly $23 million on a fairly short-term deal?” It’s completely reasonable for Hernández to demand $20 million to $25 million a year. And that shouldn’t be a problem for the Dodgers. “If the Dodgers won’t meet his price, there’s a good chance another team will considering how reasonable it is. The Dodgers have other options that they can consider, but it’d be tough for them to find one who fits in as well as Hernandez did,” Rotman wrote.
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