MLB Rumors: Justin Verlander trade, Tigers surprise, Brewers 1 step away on Burnes

MLB Rumors: Are the Brewers one step away with Burnes?

Matt Arnold and the Milwaukee Brewers don’t want history to repeat this season.

After being in first place in the NL Central for much of the 2022 season, then-president of baseball operations David Stearns traded the team’s closer Josh Hader to the San Diego Padres for Taylor Rogers, Dinelson Lamet, and prospects Robert Gasser and Esteury Ruiz.

The Brewers collapsed after the trade falling to second place in the NL Central, seven games back of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Corbin Burnes has been the Brewers’ top pitcher this season.

The Brewers are 38-36 this season, 1.5 games back of the Cincinnati Reds. He will be arbitration eligible in 2024 and a free agent in 2025. The Brewers seemingly want to make the most of their time with Burnes. In 15 games for the Brewers, Burnes is 5-5 with an ERA of 3.96. He’s thrown 86 strikeouts over 88.2 innings.

Bowden believes the Brewers are “all in” this season and won’t take any calls on Burnes.

A former GM, Bowden, said, “[The Brewers] don’t want a repeat of last year’s trade deadline, when they dealt closer Josh Hader to the Padres and the team fell apart. However, anything is possible if they were to crater in July and some team wants to overwhelm them with a prospect package. Burnes won’t be a free agent until after the 2024 season.”

While anything is possible, Adams will not want to recreate the enormous mistake made by Stearns in dealing away their top closer and watching the team crumble afterward. While It would be interesting to see what package would entice Adams to consider trading Burnes, Adams would not want to hear the cries from the Brewers faithful.

The Brewers will have their hands full with the Reds and the rest of the NL Central, but it won’t change how the team feels about their top pitcher.

Burnes will stay with the Crew this summer.