4 teams that will regret missing out on Corbin Burnes
By Scott Rogust
Corbin Burnes' status with the Milwaukee Brewers has very much been in question, dating back to their drama-filled arbitration hearings. Burnes is the Brewers' ace, and there was no indication that the team would willingly move on from him. But he is set to be a free agent after this upcoming season. So, the clock was ticking for the Brewers to make a move if they had no faith that they would re-sign him.
Well on Thursday, the Brewers agreed to trade Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for their No. 6 prospect, Joey Ortiz, left-handed pitcher D.L. Hall, and the 34th pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.
The Orioles are coming off a season in which they had the best record in the American League (101-61) and a talented young roster. Now was the time for them to make a big move. With new ownership buying the team earlier this week, they wasted no time getting arguably the best-starting pitcher on the trade block.
Here are three teams that missed out on acquiring Burnes ane potentially hurt their chances in 2024.
4. Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins did something they haven't been able to do since 2002 -- win a playoff series. This past season, the Twins beat the Toronto Blue Jays in two games in the American League Wild Card Series to advance to the AL Division Series. Unfortunately for the Twins, they lost to the Houston Astros in four games in the ALCS.
This offseason, the Twins were in a position to bolster their roster to ensure they can make it past the ALDS or to the World Series. Thus far, the team hasn't done much to help. As of this writing, the Twins have just four pitchers in the starting rotation (per their depth chart), after Kenta Maeda and Sonny Gray entered free agency.
Recently, The Athletic's Dan Hayes noted that the Twins "explored trade possibilities" for Burnes and Dylan Cease of the Chicago White Sox but said, "those talks proved fruitless thus far." Given the Orioles didn't give up the farm to get Burnes, this is something the Twins should be kicking themselves over.