Overnight Shocker: Corbin Burnes Signs in Unexpected Spot

Former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes made an under-the-radar splash in the middle of the night, not signing with the San Francisco Giants or the Toronto Blue Jays, or any other big-market team.

Burnes, in fact, turned down bigger offers from both of those aforementioned frontrunners to sign a six-year, $210 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Diamondbacks are signing Corbin Burnes to a 6-year, $210M deal with an opt out after 2 years, per multiple sources pic.twitter.com/OOYs74DxSV
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) December 28, 2024

The agreement has an opt-out after two years.

Reports say Burnes chose the much less tax-onerous destination of Arizona than California or Canada, though it says here that he made the right choice as far as being competitive for a chance at a World Series over the life of his deal.

The 30-year-old was the 2021 Cy Young winner with the Milwaukee Brewers, and after spending a season with the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East, has decided to move back to the National League, and join a team that won the NL pennant in 2023 and won 89 games last year.

The latest projected rotation for the Diamondbacks after their reported signing of Corbin Burnes 👀 pic.twitter.com/WSRFcZnTBg
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) December 28, 2024

Burnes now heads up a very strong rotation in Arizona, joining Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez.

In 2024 with the O's, Burnes went 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA, 1.096 WHIP and 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings in 32 starts. His previous three seasons in Milwaukee—2020 - 2023—also saw him put up sensational numbers with a 37-22 record, a 2.86 ERA, 0.996 WHIP, and 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings.