The Baltimore Orioles made a big splash last offseason to acquire starting pitcher Corbin Burnes, fortifying the top of their rotation for the 2024 season with the hope of re-signing him when he hit the open market. Nearly a year after spending premium prospect capital on Burnes, Baltimore will now be seriously challenged to retain him in MLB free agency.

Burnes, age 30, is the best pitcher available in MLB free agency this winter. The right-handed pitcher is coming off his fourth All-Star selection, adding to a resume that includes the NL Cy Young Award from the 2021 season. In what will likely be the biggest and last payday of his career, the veteran is frequently popping up in MLB rumors as of late.

• Corbin Burnes stats (ESPN): 2.92 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 15-9 record, 181 strikeouts in 194.1 innings

While Burnes is Baltimore’s top offseason priority, the organization is well aware of the competition it will face to re-sign him. It’s also going to come from some of the best teams in baseball, meaning the Orioles’ pitch of competing for a World Series title won’t be nearly enough with money playing a massive role.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Burnes is being eyed by the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees this winter. Baltimore is also, unsurprisingly, very interested in bringing him back on a multi-year deal.

Heyman further notes that the expected cost of a Burnes contract will be in the range of $210 million over seven years. It backs up previous MLB rumors from Kiley McDaniel of ESPN, who previously reported that Burnes is expected to sign for north of $200 million this offseason.

Many of the teams interested in Burnes could also have money tied up in other potential top free agents. In some of the latest MLB rumors this week, Ha-Seong Kim has been tied to the Giants while the Dodgers are hot after Willy Adames with the Yankees and Mets both competing for Juan Soto.

The other clubs’ interest in some of the top MLB free agents could provide Baltimore with a slight edge if it makes re-signing Burnes the first priority and commits to a contract value he is seeking while the other clubs engage on other free-agent targets.