In February, the Baltimore Orioles made a significant trade with the Milwaukee Brewers for ace pitcher Corbin Burnes. Let’s examine how this trade has affected both teams. On February 1, the Orioles and Brewers completed a deal that caused a stir in Major League Baseball. The Orioles acquired the 2021 Cy Young Award winner Burnes in exchange for two young prospects, DL Hall and Joey Ortiz. This move provided the up-and-coming Orioles with a star pitcher to lead their rotation, while minimally impacting their deep farm system. This positioned the Orioles as strong contenders for the 2024 World Series. For the Brewers, the trade allowed them to avoid the financial burden of Burnes, who becomes a free agent after the 2024 season. Instead, they received two former top 100 prospects, Hall and Ortiz, who have the potential to become key players for their youthful team.
Breaking Down the Corbin Burnes Trade
The Orioles Have Their Ace
After the Orioles’ disappointing playoff performance in 2023, it was evident that their rotation needed an overhaul. During Games 2 and 3 of last year’s ALDS against the Texas Rangers, the Orioles’ pitching staff gave up a total of 18 runs. This offseason, the Orioles’ front office worked diligently to upgrade their pitching staff, ultimately acquiring Corbin Burnes.
Burnes immediately took the top spot in the Orioles’ rotation and has exceeded expectations. Remarkably, he has not allowed more than three runs in any of his first ten starts with the team.
Just this past Sunday, Burnes delivered a stellar performance, pitching six innings, striking out 11 batters, and securing the win against the Seattle Mariners. Such impressive displays had become routine for Brewers fans, and now Orioles fans are relishing Burnes’s exceptional pitching.
Exactly what the Orioles needed, Burnes boasts a remarkable 2.56 ERA, placing him among the top pitchers in MLB. While his ERA is impressive, Burnes’s fWAR stands out even more, already reaching an astonishing 1.4. Additionally, his strikeouts per nine innings are just shy of 10. Despite the Orioles’ pitching staff undergoing significant changes, transitioning to a six-man rotation, they can be confident that Burnes will continue to lead the rotation, consistently delivering Cy Young-worthy performances.
In summary, the Corbin Burnes trade has proven fruitful for both teams thus far. The Orioles have secured their ace pitcher and seem poised to be strong contenders for the American League title. Meanwhile, the Brewers have acquired two valuable assets that could contribute significantly to their quest for their first-ever World Series victory.
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