Chicago Cubs Rumors: Corbin Burnes continues to look like a pipe dream

For Chicago Cubs fans hoping that Corbin Burnes is the present of the team's offseason, the indication from GM Meetings this week continues to confirm that the Cubs will not be involved in Burnes' market.

Burnes sits at the top of the list in terms of available free-agent starting pitchers this offseason. Despite the connection to Cubs' manager Craig Counsell, the expectation is that Burnes' asking price will be too high of an ask for the Cubs.

That was the sentiment from the latest in The Athletic (Subscription Required), in which Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma recap what they have heard so far at the GM Meetings.

There is no track record or indication that Hoyer’s group and the Ricketts family will go to the top of the market for Corbin Burnes, a Scott Boras client who can command the long-term megadeal that typically involves an aggressive owner.

Burnes is going to command a deal that certainly surpasses $200MM with some believing his asking price could rival the deal Gerrit Cole signed with the New York Yankees that was in excess of $300MM. Already 30, with some fear that his profile may not age well, Burnes is not the type of pitcher that the Cubs would alter their spending habits for.

Adding a starting pitcher to a top-of-the-rotation that already includes Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga appears to be the priority for the Cubs this offseason. While that starting pitcher almost certainly will not be Burnes, Max Fried continues to be a name speculated for the North Side.

If starting pitching is the priority for the Cubs this offseason, they better not miss. The return of Cody Bellinger all but sets the position player side of the Cubs' roster but with the right starting pitcher, there is a path to the Cubs inching closer to their 90-win goal. It's not an ideal scenario but one that fits Hoyer's ideologies the best.