SF Giants one of few teams to make a concrete offer to Cy Young winner

The dust has long settled and Corbin Burnes could be with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the next six seasons. The SF Giants were in the mix for Burnes and only one of a few teams to make a concrete offer as stated during his introductory press conference.

SF Giants one of few teams to make a concrete offer to Cy Young winner

Burnes said today that only the Giants and Toronto Blue Jays made concrete offers before he agreed to join the Diamondbacks on a six-year, $210 million with an opt-out after the second year. Interestingly, his agent, Scott Boras, stated that Burnes turned down larger offers from other teams.

When his deal was completed, there was some confusion as to the type of offer the Giants made. One report suggested that both the Giants made a bigger offer to Burnes but that he turned it down due to the high tax rate in California.

That report was quickly refuted by Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. She conveyed that the Giants did not outbid the Diamondbacks' offer. If you read between the lines, it was likely the Blue Jays who made the larger offer.

For much of the offseason, it felt like San Francisco would be a logical destination for Burnes. He grew up in California and attended Saint Mary's College in the North Bay. Plus, the Giants had a need for rotation help, especially a durable arm like Burnes.

However, one quality that is difficult to measure is geography. Burnes has a home in Phoenix, Arizona, so he gets to stay at home in the offseason and when the team is not on the road. That is one of those qualities that not every player gets to enjoy.

This is all a moot point now. The Giants have since pivoted to future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander on a one-year, $15 million deal. The veteran pitcher will be entering his 20th season in the majors after a down year in which he tallied a 5.48 ERA while being limited to just 17 starts due to neck and shoulder injuries.

The Giants have quite a bit of young depth that they will be leaning on in 2025. They are likely done adding to the rotation at this point but it is fun to imagine what a rotation with Logan Webb and Burnes at the top would look like.