The New York Mets could be losing some key players in free agency after nearly reaching the World Series in 2024. They could be active themselves in trying to bring in a superstar.
While making predictions for top free agents who declined their qualifying offers, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller predicted that the Mets would sign Baltimore Orioles ace Corbin Burnes.
"As mentioned with Alonso, the Mets' ability/willingness to get a deal done for Burnes hinges at least partially on whether they get Soto," wrote Miller. "They could get both, and it's infinitely more likely they get both Soto and Burnes than both Soto and Alonso, simply because they need to put in some work on their starting rotation this winter."
The Mets could lose starting pitcher Sean Manaea in free agency. Replacing him with a player like Burnes would be an upgrade for sure. He is a four-time All-Star and won the National League Cy Young Award in 2021. Miller predicted the Mets to ink Burnes to a five-year, $170 million deal in free agency.
"We'll find out the final Cy Young vote tallies sometime on Wednesday. Still, it's hardly a leap of faith to declare this was Burnes' fifth consecutive season finishing top-eight in the Cy Young vote, likely in third place behind Tarik Skubal and Emmanuel Clase," wrote Miller.
Burnes' 2.92 ERA in 2024 was his best since his Cy Young season. Adding Burnes would give the Mets a true ace they can rely on every five days. He has a connection with David Stearns who was the general manager during his time with the Milwaukee Brewers.
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