Orioles Land Corbin Burnes from Brewers
What a week it has been for the Baltimore Orioles. Earlier this week, the Orioles were sold to a new ownership group that included Cal Ripken Jr. The sale of the team led to a refreshed optimism around the organization and a motivation to compete right now. This motivation to win has come to fruition just a few days later as the Orioles pulled off a blockbuster trade last night when they acquired Brewers’ ace Corbin Burnes in exchange for two prospects and the 34th pick in the 2024 draft. The two prospects the Orioles are sending over to Milwaukee are infielder Joey Ortiz and pitcher D.L. Hall. Here is a quick breakdown of what the Brewers are getting in return for Burnes:
Ortiz is ranked as the eighth-ranked prospect in the Orioles system, and he is a nice middle infield prospect at just 25 years old. However, the Orioles really had nowhere for him to fit in at the major league level given their extremely talented and young infield core. He has the potential to hit double-digit home runs and steal double-digit bases at a consistent level when given constant playing time. Hall is a former first-round pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, and he gained Major League experience last season with the Orioles. He can be an immediate bullpen weapon for the Brewers this season, and he could even be a starter down the road.
As for the Orioles, Burnes will immediately slot in as the ace of their rotation as they look to win a very competitive AL East for the second consecutive season. Burnes will be complemented by Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, and John Means in a relatively young rotation that is looking to make the next step. The addition of Burnes immediately makes this rotation much deeper and more threatening, given they stay healthy once they get to September and October. The starting pitching was the main issue with the Orioles last season, and it was widely considered what held them back from being serious World Series contenders. That proved to be true as they were swept in the ALDS by the eventual champion Texas Rangers while giving up 21 runs in those three games. The addition of Corbin Burnes addresses their key need while working to support one of the best and youngest lineups in baseball that includes Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Cedric Mullins, and top prospect Jackson Holliday who is on his way to the big leagues. This blockbuster move makes the Orioles one of the favorites to win the American League this season with a CY Young caliber starter, a lockdown closer in Felix Bautista, and one of the best young lineups in the game. The 2024 Orioles are now a force to be reckoned with.
