Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins meets with four- time All-star.
The Blue Jays held a recent in-person meeting with free agent righty� Corbin Burnes as per MLB Network's John Morosi.
Toronto was already connected to Burnes earlier in the offseason, but an in-person meeting between the two parties is of some note all the same.
Burnes is one of multiple high-end free agents linked to the Jays in recent weeks.
Burnes is a four-time All-Star and National League Cy Young Award winner.
He had a 2.92 ERA in 2024, his best mark since his Cy Young Award campaign in 2021.
The 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner is one of the most reliable workhorses in baseball, with over 30 starts in each of the past 3 seasons.
He has thrown at least 193.2 innings in three straight campaigns and has recorded an ERA under 3.00 in four out of the last five since becoming a full-time starter.
He would be a massive addition to what is already a strong starting rotation. Kevin Gausman, who is signed through 2026, Chris Bassitt, who is a free agent after the 2025 season, and Jose Berrios are currently locked into the top three spots.
Adding Burnes to the top of that group would give the Blue Jays one of the best quartets in baseball, with Bowden Francis or Alek Manoah taking the fifth spot.
Kevin Gausman and José Berrios are nearing the end of their contracts. Adding Burnes ensures they will have an elite arm if they both leave.
Meanwhile, team president Mark Shapiro is entering the final season of his contract, while general manager Ross Atkins is signed through 2026.
They've now been atop the Jays' baseball operations hierarchy for nearly a decade but haven't won a postseason game since 2016 - their first year on the job.
Speculation about the pair's job security has continued to mount as the team has under performed.
Burnes went 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA across 194.1 innings atop the Orioles rotation.
The Orioles have said they'd love to keep Burnes, but it remains to be seen if new owner David Rubenstein will authorize the kind of spending necessary to retain him in a long term contract.
If he does sign elsewhere, the O's would receive a compensatory pick after the first round of the 2025 draft, because Burnes rejected a $21.05MM qualifying offer.
Sportrac projects Burnes is expected to command a long-term contract of $200 million with an average annual value of $30 million.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 5 | 173 ANSWERS Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins meets with four- time All-star. Will the Blue Jays sign Corbin Burnes to a long term contract? | ||
| Yes | 78 | 45.1 % |
| No | 95 | 54.9 % |
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