The Milwaukee Brewers knew they couldn’t afford the 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes when he hit free agency. For this reason they sold it to Baltimore Orioles ahead of the 2024 season for goalie Joey Ortiz and left-handed pitcher DL Hall. Both Ortiz and Hall were on Milwaukee’s Opening Day roster last year, and both are projected to play significant roles for the Brewers in 2025.
Hall struggled last season and missed time due to injury, but he performed well towards the end of the season, starting from the penalty spot and jumping well off the field. Ortiz hit .239/.329/.398 with 11 home runs, 60 RBI and 11 stolen bases and will likely move from third base to shortstop once Willy Adames leaves in free agency.
Meanwhile, Burnes will not return to the Orioles next season.
Former Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes has signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks
In six seasons with the Brewers, Burnes was 45-27 with a 3.26 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. He won the NL Cy Young Award in 2021, a year in which he went 11-5 with a Major League-leading 2.43 ERA and 0.94 WHIP. The following season he went 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA and 0.97 WHIP while leading the National League with 243 strikeouts.
In his only season with the Orioles, Burnes had a record of 15-9, an ERA of 2.92 and a WHIP of 1.10. He was named to the All-Star team for the fourth consecutive year and finished fifth in AL Cy Young Award voting.
Late Friday night and Saturday morning, it was reported that Burnes had signed a six-year, $210 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, who seemingly came out of nowhere to land the biggest name on the free agent starting pitching market.
The signing left many baseball fans wondering why he chose Arizona over larger markets.
Former Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Corbin Burnes took less money to play for the Arizona Diamondbacks
Within hours of signing the contract, it was revealed that Burnes had received larger offers from other teams, most notably the San Francisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jays. However, tax rates in California and Canada proved to be an obstacle for him.
The Giants and Blue Jays offered more to Corbin Burnes, but it was a large tax differential in Arizona
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 28, 2024
Additionally, Burnes lives with her family in Scottsdale, Arizona, so she will now be closer to home.
Other teams reportedly pursuing Burnes include the Chicago Cubs, Orioles and Boston Red Sox.
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