3 Scott Boras clients Dodgers can’t pursue next winter

Corbin Burnes

The Dodgers' white whale this offseason might be gone for good. Burnes, another Boras client, went to Baltimore in an Orioles-Brewers swap to kick off February, giving them a leg up to retain him when he hits free agency after the season. He could be another extension candidate, but, again, Boras clients don't tend to do extensions. Still, the Orioles have a new ownership group that is already more willing to spend money than the Angelos family ever was, so if Burnes can keep being as dominant in Baltimore as he was in Milwaukee, they'll probably be willing to throw buckets of it at him to keep him with the team in free agency.

Rosenthal notes that the Dodgers, unlike the Braves, have been willing to sign Boras clients in free agency instead of just drafting or trading for them — James Paxton most recently, for example — but have also been burned by the most prominent ones in the past. Gerrit Cole and Bryce Harper both received offers from the Dodgers in free agency before going elsewhere, and Corey Seager turned down an offer to come back and chose Texas instead. It sounds like the Dodgers just aren't willing to pay Boras prices for the biggest stars, especially on long-term deals.

By the time the 2025 season comes around, the Dodgers might not even need or want Burnes anymore. Walker Buehler will be back, Tony Gonsolin and/or Dustin May might be back, and Ohtani will be able to pitch. Still, it was a little sad to see Burnes get tossed to Baltimore for so little in return, when the Dodgers had their eyes on him for so long.