The Baltimore Orioles posted a dominant 101-win campaign last year, emerging as a legitimate threat who’s lined up to haunt the American League East for years to come. The club entered the off-season boasting an excellent position player core coupled with a strong farm system.
The one area that needed bolstering was the starting rotation, and general manager Mike Elias addressed that in a massive way on Thursday night, acquiring ace right-hander Corbin Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers.
Here’s a closer look at the deal and what it means.
The deal: Milwaukee Brewers traded right-hander Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles for shortstop Joey Ortiz, left-hander DL Hall, and a 2024 Competitive Balance Round A Draft pick.
The runners-up: Several teams had been reportedly interested in Burnes over the course of the off-season, but those rumours lost steam into the new year with some thought that the Brewers would hold on to Burnes, who’s set to become a free agent after this season, until the trade deadline.
The player: Burnes is an ace any way you slice it. He checks all the boxes; Consistency, durability, monster strikeout numbers, and playoff success.
The 29-year-old might have been hidden in the National League Central for his entire career, but a move to the AL East will ensure he garners more spotlight this season.
The right-hander enjoyed his breakout during the COVID-shortened 2020 season and captured the NL CY Young the next year. Since 2020, here’s where he stands among qualified starters:
• Second in wins above replacement, per Fangraphs (17.9)
• Second in strikeouts (765)
• Third in FIP (2.84)
• Fifth in ERA (2.86)
• Fifth in innings (622.1)
• Eighth in K percentage (30.9)
With Burnes under control for one more season, he’s essentially a rental. However, the Orioles are getting a pitcher in the prime of his career, entering his age-29 campaign. It’s fair to expect a strong campaign for the right-hander, who could give the Orioles exactly what they need.
The fit: The Orioles’ rotation ranked 14th in MLB with a 4.14 ERA last season. The club’s need for a frontline starting pitcher was clear during the playoffs when the Orioles were swept in three games by the Texas Rangers.
Burnes will now slot in as the No. 1 starter in any post-season series and is slated to be followed by an improved Kyle Bradish and promising right-hander Grayson Rodriguez. If the latter two pitchers continue to progress, this rotation will suddenly become scary.
The cost to acquire Burnes does not subtract from the Orioles’ major-league roster. Ortiz ranked as the organization’s No. 6 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was blocked by the impressive array of young Orioles infielders, while Hall figured to be a bullpen piece at best for the 2024 club.
The Orioles had slowly and steadily built their way up from near-scorched Earth territory over the last several years. The fact that they were able to acquire an ace without impacting the major league club or a still-impressive farm system is a testament to the excellent state of the organization.
The next domino: Burnes was the best starter available via trade. Clubs looking for a rotation boost can also turn to free agent left-handers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, both of whom are represented by super-agent Scott Boras.
0:40
