The Baltimore Orioles have acquired former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Milwaukee explored trade options for Burnes all winter. With spring training coming up in a few weeks teams believed the Brewers would hold on to their ace-caliber pitcher. The Orioles, who achieved a remarkable 101-game victory last season and boast one of the most promising young cores in MLB, faced uncertainties regarding their pitching rotation.

Acquiring Burnes could be a key factor in fixing their issues. The 29-year-old pitcher, set to become a free agent after the 2024 season, delivered an impressive performance last year with a 10-8 record, a 3.39 ERA, and 200 strikeouts in 193⅔ innings, contributing to the Brewers’ NL Central title. In the previous season, Burnes led the NL with 243 strikeouts in 202 innings. In 2021, he recorded 234 strikeouts in 167 innings, accompanied by just 34 walks and a 2.43 ERA.

The Orioles making a trade for Corbin Burnes will now pair him with Kyle Bradish and Grayson Rodriguez who had the best and third-best ERA in the American League during the second half of last season. The Orioles also have Dean Kremer, Tyler Wells, and John Means.

The Milwaukee Brewers made the trade because it not only relieves the team of Burnes’ $15.6 million salary, but they also get a return for Burnes instead of risking losing him in free agency. In return, Milwaukee is acquiring two prospects from Baltimore, infielder Joey Ortiz and left-handed pitcher D.L. Hall, and the 34th pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.

Ortiz was a fourth-round pick in 2019 and was Baltimore’s No. 6 ranked prospect. In addition, Hall made 29 appearances for Baltimore in two seasons, and he mostly came out of the bullpen. The Brewers believe that Hall has upside as a potential starter in their rotation.

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