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Throughout the offseason the CBS Sports MLB experts will bring you a weekly Batting Around roundtable breaking down pretty much anything. The latest news, a historical question, thoughts about the future of baseball, all sorts of stuff. Last week we debated the contenders with the most work left this offseason. Now we're going to tackle Corbin Burnes' future.

Which team most needs to sign Corbin Burnes?

R.J. Anderson: Let's go ahead and get the obvious answer out of the way: I'll say the Orioles. It's not just that Burnes would provide a huge boost to the Orioles rotation (again), it's also that he would symbolize that change has indeed come to Baltimore. New owner David Rubenstein investing in Burnes would demonstrate that he's willing to spend what it takes to maximize the Orioles' World Series chances -- something that, to be frank, the previous owners were clearly unwilling to do. 

Matt Snyder: I hate to do this, but I'm basically gonna echo R.J. here. The Orioles put their fans through an extreme rebuild only to see the ballclub emerge with one of the most ballyhooed farm systems we've ever seen. They've now made the playoffs two straight seasons but haven't won a playoff game. There's new ownership that is likely willing to spend a little bit more than the tight-fisted Angelos regime. Is general manager Mike Elias willing to spend ownership's money, though? And if not, shouldn't they bring in someone who will? The time for building for the future is over. It's time to put a present winner on the field and that rotation sorely need Burnes back at the top. 

Mike Axisa: I'm going with the Braves. They lost Max Fried and could lose Charlie Morton, and I'm not sure you can count on Chris Sale and Reynaldo López doing that again. That isn't to say I expect them to pitch poorly, just that I wouldn't bank on a combined 313 1/3 innings of 2.21 ERA ball again. Also, Spencer Schwellenbach threw 168 2/3 innings in 2024 after throwing 65 innings in 2023, and 96 2/3 innings from 2021-23. Spencer Strider is on his way back from UCL surgery, so that's a plus, but the Braves have regression risk in their rotation and they play in a tough division in a tough league. I think Atlanta needs Burnes, both his innings and effectiveness, more than the Orioles need him in a watered down American League. Do I expect the Braves to sign Burnes? No, I do not, but I think they need him more than any other contender.