MLB Network host shockingly predicts this free agent ace will sign with the Angels

The offseason is chock-full of bold predictions, and the baseball world might have found their boldest yet to date. Greg Amsinger, a host for MLB Network, made six predictions for where big name free agents will land, and said he believes the Angels will land 4x All Star, Corbin Burnes.

This is most likely clickbait. There has been no evidence that the two sides have even met, let alone Burnes even entertaining the idea of becoming an Angel. ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan both projected Burnes' next contract to surpass $200 million. Does that sound like a contract that Arte Moreno would want his front office to present to him? Moreno never pays pitchers that kind of money, and an average annual value of ~$30 million for Burnes would get the Angels to the luxury tax that Moreno will never pay again. The need for a front-line starter for Burnes is ever-present, but the desire is not.

There is no truth to the Amsinger prediction that the Angels will land Corbin Burnes

The only reported teams that have had conversations with Burnes thus far are the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox. Big market teams like the New York Yankees and New York Mets will likely enter the Burnes sweepstakes once they see how the Juan Soto negotiations pan out. The Baltimore Orioles have new ownership and are heavily motivated to bring their ace back given their lack of starting pitcher depth. The San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, and Toronto Blue Jays could also be in on the cutter-baller. Do you get the point? The market is far too robust for a team that operates the way the Angels do.

The case for the Angels making a bid is if Burnes has a strong desire to return close to home. He grew up and went to high school in Bakersfield, CA, which is roughly three hours from Anaheim. Of course, if that desire does truly manifest, then he would sign with the Dodgers instead of the Angels. They just won the World Series and would undoubtedly offer him more money. The Angels are expected to seek a mid-tier starter, and, at best, a lower-end top-tier starter (like a Jack Flaherty or Yusei Kikuchi).

Even in Angels' fans wildest dreams this offseason, they would not predict the Angels to land the SoCal native. Amsinger might go 0/6 on his predictions, although he could certainly generate a solid amount of user engagement for his company with those picks!

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