The Red Sox have signed key man , but they came out ahead of their American League East competitors.
Boston showed only a passing interest in the four-time All-Star, reportedly “in contact” with the right-hander, signaling that they were simply evaluating the free-agent market.
As reported by of the New York Post, Burnes agreed to a six-year, $210 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks. While it was a significant deal for the 2021 NL Cy Young winner, it didn’t reach the record-setting figures some had expected. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale noted that the San Francisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jays had higher offers, but the tax difference in Arizona ultimately swayed Burnes’ decision.
This situation is particularly tough for the Blue Jays, who were considered one of the frontrunners to sign Burnes. It’s also a setback for the Baltimore Orioles, who were nowhere near securing their ace.
For the Red Sox, there’s a strong argument that Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler together will have a greater impact on the rotation than spending heavily on Burnes. Their strategy could be more effective than those of Toronto and Baltimore, both of which are now scrambling to fill their pitching needs.
While the Orioles still boast one of the best lineups in the division, they can rely on that. In contrast, for the Blue Jays, this offseason has been a public relations disaster. After reportedly competing with Boston for Juan Soto and being willing to break financial records, they missed out on the superstar. Though they showed interest in re-signing Teoscar Hernández, he returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers instead. If Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leaves, the backlash from fans will be intense.
There are still potential moves left to be made; the Red Sox are reportedly still in the race for Alex Bregman. However, when considering the offseason’s winners, it’s fair to say that Boston has come out ahead of Baltimore and Toronto.
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