Could there be a mystery team for top SF Giants starting pitching target?

The SF Giants and Toronto Blue Jays have often been mentioned as the frontrunners for four-time All-Star Corbin Burnes but could there be a mystery team in the mix as well? Jon Heyman of The New York Post went on the Bleacher Report Podcast and listed the Texas Rangers as a potential mystery team.

Could there be a mystery team for top SF Giants starting pitching target?

Heyman surmises that the Texas Rangers look eager to spend again after having a surprisingly quiet offseason last winter following their first World Series win in franchise history. The Rangers have retained Nathan Eovaldi on a three-year, $75 million pact and were in the mix for Max Fried before he signed an eight-year, $218 million deal with the Yankees.

Plus, they were one of the most aggressive teams in free agency not that long ago. After the 2021 season, they signed Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to lucrative, long-term deals. Seager inked a 10-year, $325 million contract, whereas Semien signed for a seven-year, $175 million deal. This is probably a team that does not intend to stand pat given the massive commitments they have on the books.

At the end of the clip, Heyman like many other MLB insiders maintains that the Giants are still the favorites for Burnes. It bears mentioning that the 2021 NL Cy Young is represented by Scott Boras. Heyman has a longstanding connection with Boras and often conveys information that the super agent wants to be made public.

It is easy to envision a team like the Rangers being a legitimate suitor for Burnes. On the other hand, Heyman could be leaking them as a mystery team so as to put pressure on the current teams to improve their respective offers.

Burnes is coming off of an excellent 2024 campaign in which he posted a 2.92 ERA in 32 starts for the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles do not seem inclined to spend at the level of the market and many of the big-market clubs such as the Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers have already added a frontline starter this winter in Max Fried and Blake Snell, respectively.

The Giants seemingly have the geographic advantage as Burnes is local to California and attended college not that far away from San Francisco. The Blue Jays seem poised to make a big move as well. Of course, the longer this drags out, the more opportunity there is for another team to enter the bidding. If the Giants hope to land an ace this winter, then adding Burnes is their best bet.