Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo has informed members of the media that right-hander Corbin Burnes will undergo Tommy John surgery. Burnes will therefore miss the remainder of this season and possibly the entire 2026 campaign as well. Radio broadcaster Chris Garagiola was among those to pass the info along. Burnes is already on the 15-day injured list but will be transferred to the 60-day as soon as the club needs a roster spot.
The news is devastating but unsurprising. Burnes was pitching on Sunday when he called the training staff out from the dugout. He departed that game and the club later announced that he was experiencing elbow discomfort. He went for various medical opinions in the following days but it seems the worst-case scenario could not be avoided, so he’ll go under the knife. Given that Tommy John surgery usually requires 14 to 18 months of recovery time, Burnes is definitely out for the rest of 2025. A return in late in 2026 is possible but can’t be guaranteed.
Burnes is well known as one of the best pitchers in the sport. He won a Cy Young Award while pitching with the Brewers in 2021. He posted a 2.43 earned run average in 167 innings that year. He struck out 35.6% of opponents, only gave out walks at a 5.2% clip and got grounders on 48.8% of balls in play.
His results have backed up a bit since then but he’s still been excellent. Over the next three years, his strikeout rate continued to fall but it didn’t prevent his overall run prevention much. His ERA finished around 3.00 in each season from 2022 to 2024, even though his strikeout rate fell to 30.5%, 25.5% and 23.1% in those seasons.
He was one of the top free agents in the most recent offseason. MLBTR placed him second in the class, behind only Juan Soto, predicting Burnes could land a $200MM contract over seven years. He naturally fielded a lot of interest, with clubs such as the Orioles, Blue Jays and Giants among those who were connected to him most often.
In late December, he finally picked a new team. Arizona was a surprising destination since the club already had a number of rotation options and wasn’t heavily connected to the starting pitching market. But Burnes is an Arizona native and reportedly wanted to be close to his family, so the two sides made it work. The six-year deal guarantees Burnes $210MM, though with $64MM of that deferred into the next decade. It also affords him the opportunity to opt out after the 2026 season.
The Diamondbacks had made a number of investments in their rotation in recent years but this was the largest by far. Going into 2024, they gave Eduardo Rodríguez a four-year, $80MM deal and Jordan Montgomery also got a one-year, $25MM guarantee plus an easily-attainable vesting option.
Despite the heavy amount of investment in starting pitching, the Arizona rotation hasn’t been a strength. That was true even before this Burnes news, something that MLBTR’s Anthony Franco recently took a look at in a post for Front Office subscribers.
Losing Burnes for the rest of the year will only compound the problem. Montgomery himself required Tommy John surgery before the season started, so he’s already been out of action all year. Rodríguez has a 7.05 ERA in nine starts. He went on the IL in mid-May due to shoulder inflammation and was reinstated today.
Despite having one of the best lineups in baseball, the Arizona pitching has contributed to a fairly disappointing season so far. A recent four-game win streak has got them back to .500, but their 31-31 record still has them 3.5 games out of a playoff spot at the moment. They will have to try to climb back into the race without Burnes. Their current rotation consists of Rodríguez, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Brandon Pfaadt and Ryne Nelson. Kelly is having a good year but Gallen, Pfaadt and Rodríguez are all struggling. Nelson has been in a swing role and is only now taking up a rotation spot in the wake of the injuries.
With the club hovering around contention, decisions will have to be made about the club’s deadline plans. If they fall back in the standings, they have a number of impending free agents and could have a lot to sell. That includes Gallen, Kelly, Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor. Montgomery is also an impending free agent but naturally has no trade value since he’s out for the year. Though if the Snakes can hang in there, adding at the deadline could obviously be the move.
Those impending free agencies and the Burnes surgery will also lead to questions about the 2026 rotation. As of now, it consists of Pfaadt, Rodríguez and Nelson. There are some prospects who could potentially take up roles but it’s clearly a very different picture to the imperfect group they have now.
Turning to the Burnes opt-out, it now seems incredibly unlikely that he triggers it. Though he could come back late next year, that will likely be for a handful of starts at most. It would be hard for him to build up enough of a platform to turn down the four years and $140MM (with deferrals) left on the deal.
That’s a largely moot point for the future. For today, the takeaway is that it’s real bad news for the Diamondbacks. Subtracting Burnes blows a big hole in their rotation right now, while the club is trying to salvage the season, and into the long-term as well.
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Only a week away from the July 31 MLB trade deadline, teams are starting to determine if they are going to be buyers or sellers over the next seven days. Despite a messy playoff picture, there are a few teams that have to buy at the deadline and capitalize on the season they are having. Here are four teams that should be buyers in 2025. San Francisco Giants (54-49) After already making a big splash when they acquired designated hitter Rafael Devers earlier this season, the Giants are a team that needs to go all in at the deadline. Currently six games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West and one-and-a-half games out of a wild-card spot, the Giants have a team that could be a problem to face in a playoff series. Acquiring another piece to the rotation to pair with starters Logan Webb and Robbie Ray should be the main focus, while adding another solid bat to the mix would give them one of the deepest teams in the league. Positions of need: Starting pitcher, second base and a fourth outfielder. Philadelphia Phillies (58-44) Looking to make their fourth-straight postseason appearance, the Phillies have one of the best rotations in baseball and a potent lineup, but still have weaknesses that need to be addressed. With designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, first baseman Bryce Harper and pitcher Zack Wheeler all continuing to age, the Phillies are a team that needs to make a splash at the deadline if they want to be considered a threat in the postseason. While the top of the lineup is set, the Phillies desperately need to find production at the bottom of the lineup. With their outfielders struggling and a bullpen that is among the worst in baseball, the Phillies will look to make some additions as they prepare for another long run in the postseason. Positions of need: Relief pitchers, center field and left field. Boston Red Sox (55-49) Not expected to be in this position after trading their star player away mid-season, the Red Sox find themselves in the middle of the playoff picture and should be looking to capitalize on their strong play. Home to one of the best bullpens in the league and a lineup that is a mix of young talent and veteran hitters, the one thing the Red Sox lineup is lacking is a true power bat that can put fear in opposing pitchers. With one of baseball's best pitchers in Garrett Crochet leading the rotation, the Red Sox desperately need to find him some help at the deadline. Positions of need: Starting pitchers and a power bat Seattle Mariners (54-48) With what can be considered the deepest rotation in baseball and a potential 2025 American League Most Valuable Player in catcher Cal Raleigh, the Mariners head into the trade deadline needing to be buyers to take advantage of their first-half success. While the bullpen isn't a glaring issue, adding another left-hander to pair with Gabe Speier would be a big boost to their late-game situations. Adding bats to the lineup should be the main focus for the Mariners. With the production they have received at third base and right field amongst the worst in baseball, upgrading those spots could give the Mariners a team capable of making the postseason for just the second time in the last 24 years. Positions of need: Left-handed relief pitching, third base and right field.
Damion Baugh spent his rookie season in the NBA playing for the Charlotte Hornets. The 24-year-old had averages of 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steals per contest while shooting 32.3% from the field in 15 games. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Hornets will now waive Baugh. Via Scotto: "The Charlotte Hornets are waiving two-way player Damion Baugh, league sources told @hoopshype . Charlotte is waiving Baugh to clear a spot for the addition of Antonio Reeves on a two-way contract." ESPN's Shams Charania had first reported that the Hornets were signing Reeves. Via Charania: "The Charlotte Hornets are signing guard Antonio Reeves to a two-way NBA deal, sources tell ESPN. The 2024 Pelicans second-round pick averaged 6.9 points and 40% 3-point shooting in 44 games as a rookie last season."
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