The biggest fish of a free agent that was left on the board from a starting pitcher standpoint now has a new home. Former Baltimore Oriole Corbin Burnes is signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He is locked in for six years and $210 million, but does have an opt out after two years. While everyone was certain he would be a San Francisco Giants and get more money, there is much more under the surface to this move. Also, nobody should be sleeping on the Diamondbacks, who have quietly put together a nice little winter for themselves.

Burnes Staying Home

Sometimes things are more important than chasing the money. He easily could’ve commanded more money and he’s aware of that. In fact, the Giants and the Blue Jays (who are BEGGING someone to take their money) did in fact offer more money. That also is the same for the Orioles who remained aggressive in retaining his services. However, he chose to sign with the Diamondbacks.

Home is where the heart is and that’s the beautiful state of Arizona. Burnes and his family reside in Scottsdale, Arizona. The opportunity to not only stay at home for Spring Training, but also throughout the year meant more than chasing the bag and getting the keys to another city.

Aside from the beautiful scenery, being with family, and everything else the state has to offer, Burnes gets to pitch for what’s been a competitive team and has put together a nice winter.

The Outlook for the Diamondbacks

This is a team that reached the World Series in 2023 and was in a three headed fight with the Mets and Padres for a playoff spot last season. The snakes are not going away quietly.

This is quite the move for the Arizona Diamondbacks and for numerous reasons. Not only did they become the fourth team in MLB history to handout multiple $200+ million contracts to pitchers, but they managed to bolster their rotation in a big way.

This signing comes as a method of security, as Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly are both free agents after the following season. Also, this gives them a good competitive edge and allows them to compete against the empire that is the Los Angeles Dodgers. Burnes brings a lot to the table and gives the Diamondbacks another legitimate ace in the rotation.

Burnes put together a strong 2024 season and was everything the Orioles could want in a front line ace. He finished with a 2.92 ERA, a significant improvement from the 3.38 ERA in 2023 and also a 1.10 WHIP. Under the surface he does a lot of great things. His velocity has not gone down, he doesn’t get hit hard, and he is good at getting players to chase. The lone concern is the strikeout rate.

You can still get the job done and power through innings and effectively do your job as a pitcher. However, since 2020, Burnes has seen his strikeout rate drop with each passing season. Here’s how it’s been:

2020: 36.7%

2021: 35.6%

2022: 30.5%

2023: 25.5%

2024: 23.1%

It is the end of the world? Of course not. But definitely something worth noting. The good thing for the Diamondbacks is they have an entire new pitching staff. But the new look rotation is exciting for that fan base.

Burnes, Gallen, Kelly, Eddie Rodriguez, and one of Ryne Nelson/Brandon Pfaadt is certainly among the better in the game of baseball. With a division that has star power such as Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, and even now Willy Adames after his strong 2024, you can’t have enough pitching. Don’t look now, but the snakes are coming.

Snakes Alive Baby, Snakes Alive

This is a club that is out to compete and is finding the ways to do that. After losing Christian Walker, they pivoted and added Josh Naylor to man first base. Now they’ve gone out and shocked the world by adding Corbin Burnes to bolster their rotation. They were the best offense in baseball by scoring the most runs and now add to their pitching staff that ranked 27th in ERA. The gauntlet that’s the NL West just got tougher and the Diamondbacks are a threat in the playoff race. Get the popcorn ready, it ought to be a fun season.

Snakes Alive Baby!