The Orioles proved last season that they’re a threat in the American League. Now, they’re a bona fide World Series contender.
Baltimore made a splash Thursday evening by acquiring ace starter Corbin Burnes in a trade with the Brewers. In exchange, the O’s sent No. 6 prospect Joey Ortiz (who MLB Pipeline has as the No. 63 prospect in baseball), lefty pitcher DL Hall and a 2024 Competitive Balance Round A draft pick to Milwaukee.
A 2021 Cy Young winner, the 29-year-old Burnes has been one of the best pitchers in baseball across the last four seasons. Durability has never been an issue, and his 3.39 ERA last season, still a strong figure, represents his highest ERA since becoming a full-time starter. During his Cy Young campaign he led the league in ERA (2.43), FIP (1.63), home runs per nine innings (0.4) and strikeouts per nine innings (12.6).
Former Orioles executive Jim Duquette raved about the trade Friday on The Big Bad Morning Show.
“When you’re a GM, you’re trying to find a trade that makes a huge difference in your chances of getting to the World Series or even winning a World Series. This is one of those trades,” Duquette said. “Burnes is that type of pitcher, top of the rotation pitcher. It would be like trading for an All-Star position player at the deadline. He has that type of impact.
“Not only on the days he pitches, (but also) the day before, he saves the bullpen – we don’t see many guys throwing 200 innings anymore, he’ll do that. Going into his free agent year, he’ll dominate righties and lefties, he can pitch in the AL East. All these things, all these boxes you go check, check, check. He fits them all, and that’s the beauty of this one.”
Burnes’ future with the Brewers had long been in doubt. He is a free agent after the 2024 season, and his acrimonious arbitration case with Milwaukee last season cast doubt on whether he’d be a Brewer for the long haul. His agent is Scott Boras, who typically is adamant on getting his players to the open market instead of signing extensions.
With that in mind, Burnes can be looked at presently as no more than a straight rental. But with the rotation now lined up to feature Burnes, Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, John Means and Dean Kremer, the Orioles have pried their championship window wide open.
“The cost could be expensive probably in the future if certain things happen with Ortiz, but I didn’t think the cost was all that great considering getting this type of pitcher," Duquette said. "You have to view it as just a rental, he’s going to get north of $200 million easily as a free agent maybe in the mid-200s at the end of the year, and who knows if the new ownership if they’ll decide they want to keep him or not. But this is basically a home run type of trade that you don’t get too many opportunities to make."