In blockbuster trade, O’s acquire Burnes from Brewers

BALTIMORE — The Orioles have their new ace for the 2024 season: Corbin Burnes.

On Thursday night, Baltimore swung a blockbuster deal, acquiring the right-handed Burnes in a trade with Milwaukee. In return, the O’s sent infielder Joey Ortiz (MLB Pipeline’s No. 63 overall prospect), left-hander DL Hall and a 2024 Competitive Balance Round A Draft pick to the Crew.

BAL receives: RHP Corbin BurnesMIL receives: INF Joey Ortiz (MLB Pipeline’s No. 63 prospect), LHP DL Hall, 2024 Competitive Balance Round A pick (No. 34 overall)

Burnes, who is entering the final year of his contract in 2024, has been an anchor of the Brewers’ rotation over the past six seasons. The 29-year-old is a former National League Cy Young Award winner, receiving the honor in 2021, when he led the NL with a 2.43 ERA.

During his big league career, Burnes has posted a 3.26 ERA in 167 games (106 starts) and earned three All-Star selections (‘21, ‘22 and ‘23). Last year, he went 10-8 with a 3.39 ERA and an NL-best 1.07 WHIP in 193 2/3 innings across 32 starts.

In 2022, Burnes tossed a career-high 202 innings and led the NL with 243 strikeouts. The righty has K’d at least 200 batters in each of the past three seasons.

Burnes immediately slots into the top of Baltimore’s rotation and could start Opening Day on March 28, when the defending American League East champion Orioles will host the Angels at Camden Yards.

Here’s a look at how the O’s rotation could line up at the start of the season:

Right-hander Tyler Wells and lefty Cole Irvin will also be in the starting mix, but they’d have to earn a spot during Spring Training. It’s now much more likely that both will pitch out of Baltimore’s bullpen.

The Orioles didn’t have room in their infield for Ortiz due to the logjam of position-player talent in their top-ranked farm system. His path to the big leagues was blocked, which is why Ortiz played only 15 games in his first stint in MLB last season.

Hall, a 2017 first-round Draft pick who has experience both starting and relieving, owns a 4.36 ERA in 29 big league games (one start) over the past two seasons.