How close the Red Sox rivals were to signing Ace

Two Boston Red Sox rivals have reportedly been working hard to sign Corbin Burnes.

However, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the 2021 National League Cy Young winner agreed to a six-year, $210 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The National League West team was a surprising choice as the San Francisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jays were believed to be the favorites to sign the right-hander.

However, San Francisco and Toronto were not beaten financially. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Giants and Blue Jays offered more money than the Diamondbacks. But the Scottsdale, Arizona, resident supported the tax disparity in the Copper State.

It was surprising that the Baltimore Orioles didn’t have a top player who could retain Burnes. Nightengale reported that the O’s were aggressively trying to sign the 30-year-old. However, the opportunity to stay close to home during spring training and the regular season was more attractive than a more financially advantageous deal.

It was a tough blow for teams competing for Burnes, and they will have to turn to the other pitchers on the market as a replacement.