Baltimore recruits right-hander ace Corbin Burns
Corbin Burns won the Cy Young Award after throwing only 167 innings this year.
The Baltimore Orioles got a right-handed ace.
* Baltimore announced on February 2 that it has recruited former Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burns in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers.
* Baltimore handed out infielder Joey Ortiz, left-hander DL Hall and the 34th pick of the 2024 Rookie Draft in exchange for Burns.
* Baltimore, which had 101 wins last year amid stellar performance by young prospects, has successfully strengthened its starting rotation, which is its weakness, through this trade. Baltimore has risen as a strong rival to the Los Angeles Dodgers, which hired Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto this winter.
Corbin Burns
Baltimore Gets A.C.E., Now A.E.P.R
Burns, whom Baltimore recruited, is the starting ace who is drawing attention as the biggest fish in the free agent (FA) this winter. He won the NL Cy Young Award with 234 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.43 in 167 innings in 2021, and ranked first in the NL with 243 strikeouts in 202 innings in the 2022 season as well. Last year, he overcame his slump in the early part of the season to play his part with 10 wins, 8 losses and an ERA of 3.39 and 200 strikeouts.
Burns, who is 29 years old this year, will be eligible for the FA for the first time after this season. While it is expected to be the biggest free agent for pitchers, Milwaukee, a small market team, will not be able to catch Burns in reality. After putting Burns on the trade block and matching cards with several teams, Milwaukee successfully secured a deal with two weeks left in the spring training.
Baltimore, which topped the AL East with 101 wins last season after a long rebuild, has instantly risen as a favorite by recruiting Burns. Baltimore had excellent rotation of starting pitchers Kyle Bradych, Grayson Rodriguez, Dean Cramer, Tyler Wells, and John Minns, but was evaluated as lacking a clear sense of first choice. ESPN quoted Burns as saying, "The Orioles, who have the best young core players but had questions about rotation, are now leading the way. Recruitment of Burns will help resolve question marks on the starting lineup."
Meanwhile, Milwaukee's decision to trade its ace is also drawing attention. Milwaukee, which is considered a strong contender for the NL Central again this season, could have maximized its value by utilizing Burns as a trade deadline, but chose to trade before the season. "We have to make a difficult decision whenever we trade a player like Burns," Brewers general manager Matt Arnold said. "The important thing is that we have high expectations for the players that we have been receiving. Burns has been quite open about the fact that this year will be his last year playing for our team."
Otis, the infielder that Milwaukee recruited, is 25 years old this year, and has 34 games experience in the big league last year. Shortstop is his main position, but he also has multiple resources including second and third basemen. Leaving Baltimore, which is full of outstanding infielders such as Gunner Henderson, Jordan Westberg, Ramon Urías, and Jackson Holiday, he is expected to have more opportunities in Milwaukee. If Willy Adames leaves his team as an FA after this season, he may take over as shortstop.
DL Hall, a left-hander, has been a relief pitcher for two years in the big leagues but has experience as a starting pitcher in the minor leagues. He started 18 games in the minor leagues in 2022, pitched in 11 games last year, and struck out far more than in innings. In Milwaukee, he is expected to regain his starting opportunity from his original position. He is expected to form a starting rotation with Freddie Peralta, Wade Miley, and Colin Leah. 사설토토
Arnold expressed confidence by saying, "I don't think (the trade) is a rebuild. It will be helpful both now and in the future." In fact, Milwaukee has built up solid power by signing pitcher Rhys Hoskins on a two-year contract and eight-year, 82 million-dollar contract with Jackson Churio, a promising midfielder who is about to make his big league debut.