In an attempt to keep two of their stars in Baltimore — or at least receive compensation should they leave — the Orioles extended qualifying offers to right-handed starting pitcher Corbin Burnes and outfielder Anthony Santander ahead of Monday’s 5 p.m. deadline, the team announced.
Santander and Burnes have until Nov. 19 to decide whether to accept or decline the offer, which is worth $21.05 million for one year. Should they decline the offer, it doesn’t preclude them from returning to Baltimore as a free agent signing. If they sign elsewhere, however, the Orioles will receive a compensation pick in next year’s draft.
Burnes and Santander were key contributors this season, and their potential departures would leave huge holes in the starting rotation and lineup.
Burnes became an All-Star for the fourth straight season and finished the year with a 2.92 ERA across 194 1/3 innings. Despite a difficult August, when he allowed 28 runs in five starts, Burnes rebounded in September and went on to pitch a gem in the postseason — although the Orioles squandered his eight-inning, one-run masterpiece.
And Santander led the Orioles with 44 home runs. He has developed into one of the premier switch-hitting sluggers across the league and combined that with consistent, if not spectacular, defense in right field. Santander could figure to be a first baseman later in his career.
One knock on Santander was his on-base percentage (.308), which draws questions to how he might fit into a lineup interested in becoming less reliant on the home run. Still, Santander is a prominent figure in the clubhouse, and his development from a Rule 5 pick to an All-Star underscored Baltimore’s player development system.
Burnes has long been destined to hit the open market. After the Orioles acquired the ace through a trade ahead of the 2024 campaign, Burnes told The Athletic in March that he planned to go through the free agency circus once, “get as long a term deal as we can, get that security everyone is looking for.”
That deal could be massive. One industry source said Burnes could draw up to $300 million, depending on the contract length and payout structure. The Orioles, meanwhile, have a new ownership group that could put its stamp on the organization, but the club hasn’t signed a free agent to more than one guaranteed season since general manager Mike Elias arrived in 2018.
In addition, the Orioles also made decisions on several options for the 2025 season.
On Saturday, they declined the $16.5 million option for designated hitter Eloy Jiménez, settling instead for a $3 million buyout (although the Chicago White Sox, as per the trade arrangement, covered much of the cost).
And on Monday, the Orioles picked up 2025 options for first baseman Ryan O’Hearn ($8 million), right-hander Seranthony Domínguez ($8 million) and left-hander Cionel Pérez ($2.2 million). In a surprise, though, Baltimore declined the $4 million option for left-hander Danny Coulombe.
