The Baltimore Orioles announced on Wednesday that the current owners were selling the team. A day later, they made arguably even bigger headlines.
The Orioles have acquired pitcher Corbin Burnes in a trade with the Brewers. Milwaukee is receiving infielder Joey Ortiz, pitcher D.L. Hall and the No. 34 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft in exchange for Burnes.
Burnes is entering his final season under team control and set to earn $15.6 million before becoming a free agent in 2025. The Brewers apparently did not plan to re-sign him and decided to trade him now to get something in return.
The 29-year-old ace has been an All-Star for three straight seasons and won the NL Cy Young Award in 2021. Burnes posted a 10-8 record with a 3.39 ERA in 32 starts last season and led the league with a 1.069 WHIP. He led the league with 243 strikeouts in 2022.
Burnes will give the Orioles the front-end pitcher they need as they attempt to repeat as AL East champions.
Ortiz was a 2019 fourth-round pick by the Orioles and made his MLB debut last season. The 25-year-old middle infielder batted .212 in 15 games.
Hall was a 2017 first-round pick by the Orioles. The 25-year-old southpaw was a starting pitcher in the minors but served as a reliever during his two big-league stints. In 18 appearances with the Orioles last season, Hall went 3-0 with a 3.26 ERA and 1.19 WHIP.
The Orioles are able to trade the No. 34 pick in the draft to the Brewers because it is a compensatory pick. Those are the only draft picks that are eligible to be traded.
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