Orioles' Corbin Burnes elects free agency; Boston's Lucas Giolito opts in

Eight members of the Baltimore Orioles elected free agency on Thursday, including Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes and slugging outfielder Anthony Santander.

The right-handed Burnes, 30, was 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA in 32 games in his first season with the Orioles after being traded by the Milwaukee Brewers, with whom he won the National League Cy Young Award in 2021.

Santander, also 30, hit .235 in 2024 but had 44 home runs and drove in 102 runs.

Also taking the step were right-hander Brooks Kriske, left-handed pitcher John Means, catcher James McCann and outfielder Austin Slater. Outfielder Daniel Johnson and right-handed pitcher Burch Smith chose free agency instead of accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk.

--Right-handed pitcher Lucas Giolito exercised his $19 million player option for the 2025 season, the Boston Red Sox announced.

The move was expected after Giolito, 30, had surgery in March on his pitching elbow. The internal brace repair to his ulnar collateral ligament kept him from playing in his first season with the Red Sox after signing a two-year, $38.5 million offseason contract with Boston that included a player option for 2025.

An All-Star in 2019 for the Chicago White Sox, when he also finished sixth in American League Cy Young Award voting, Giolito has struggled in recent seasons, delivering a 4.90 ERA in 2022 and a 4.88 mark last season when he went 8-15 while pitching for the White Sox, Los Angeles Angels and Cleveland Guardians.

In eight major league seasons, Giolito is 61-62 in 180 appearances (178 starts) and has a 4.43 ERA with 1,077 strikeouts in 1,013 2/3 innings.

--The White Sox declined to exercise their 2025 option on infielder Yoan Moncada, per multiple reports.

Moncada will receive a $5 million buyout and become a free agent. He signed a five-year, $70 million contract extension after the 2019 season.

The White Sox acquired Moncada, now 29, in December 2016 as part of the trade that sent left-hander Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox. Injuries limited him to 92 games in 2023 and 12 games in 2024.

With the White Sox, he appeared in 739 games with a .254 batting average, 93 homers and 338 RBIs.

--The St. Louis Cardinals declined the options on right-handed pitchers Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn and Keynan Middleton.

Gibson, 37, was 8-8 with a 4.24 ERA after signing with the Cardinals last November. He earned $12 million last season and had an option for the same amount in 2025. He will receive a $1 million buyout.

Lynn, 37, signed a one-year, $10 million contract for 2024 with an $11 million option for 2025. He was 7-4 with a 3.84 ERA.

Middleton, 31, underwent season-ending flexor repair surgery on his right forearm in June and didn't pitch all season.

He last pitched in 2023 with the White Sox and New York Yankees, finishing 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA and two saves in 51 relief appearances.

--Field Level Media