The Baltimore Orioles just shocked the baseball world, snagging Cy Young-winning starting pitcher Corbin Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers, the team announced Thursday night on Twitter.
The Orioles sent infield prospect Joey Ortiz, left-handed pitcher DL Hall and the 34th pick in the upcoming draft to Milwaukee, both teams announced.
Ortiz is the 63rd ranked prospect on the MLB’s top 100. Hall is a 25-year-old lefty who’s tossed 33 innings to a 4.36 ERA in parts of two seasons. It’s a decent haul for Burnes considering he’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the 2024 season.
Welcome to Baltimore, Corbin! pic.twitter.com/rDsCwnisLm
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) February 2, 2024
The price was well worth it, in my opinion. Burnes gives the young Orioles an absolute ace and will slide in as the crown jewel in an already solid rotation.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 03: Corbin Burnes #39 of the Milwaukee Brewers asks the umpire to appeal a check swing in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks during Game One of the Wild Card Series at American Family Field on October 03, 2023 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Baltimore retained essentially their entire starting lineup from their 101 win 2023 squad. In addition to Burnes, they also acquired legendary closer Craig Kimbrel. They’re gearing up for a big push into the World Series after a season that saw them win the AL East but fall short in the playoffs.
Milwaukee, who also won their division in 2023, is headed in the opposite direction. After losing manager Craig Counsell to their division rival Chicago Cubs (who spent an absurd amount of money on a manager, in my humble opinion) the team appears to be amidst a sell-off. (RELATED: NCAA Drops Absolute Hammer On Alabama Coach Who Gambled On His Own Teams Games)
They dealt outfielder Mark Canha to the Detroit Tigers in November and sent swingman starter Adrian Houser to the New York Mets a month later.
Their decision to reload their prospect depth makes their roster pretty young with one glaring exception: 32-year-old Christian Yelich. While not quite past his prime, the 2018 NL MVP is making a lot of money and hasn’t quite returned to his 2018/2019 form.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – SEPTEMBER 02: Christian Yelich #22 of the Milwaukee Brewers at bat during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at American Family Field on September 02, 2023 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Stacy Revere/Getty Images
This move signals two things to me: The Orioles are freaking going for it, and Christian Yelich is getting traded. Where might he end up? Your guess is as good as mine. But Milwaukee just let go of a top-5 pitcher in his prime. At this point they might as well tear down and start over.