Now that Yoshinobu Yamamoto has chosen the Los Angeles Dodgers, the rest of MLB’s teams interested in boosting their starting rotation must pivot elsewhere. One name that’s been included in MLB trade rumors this offseason is Milwaukee’s Corbin Burnes, who has just one year left on his contract with the Brewers.
We’ll often see teams who aren’t ready to compete for a World Series try to trade top talents before they reach free agency in an effort to help retool. The Brewers, who had Craig Counsell walk away in free agency to go take a record-breaking managerial contract with the Cubs, are entering a period of uncertainty. But that doesn’t mean they can’t compete.
According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Brewers team owner Mark Attanasio would prefer to avoid similar backlash received after trading Josh Hader ahead of the 2022 MLB trade deadline. Instead, the desire to compete could outweigh the desire to trade Burnes after what can be considered a ‘down year’ for the former Cy Young winner.
Besides, if the Brewers don’t trade Burnes now, they can always reconsider ahead of the deadline again, even if that may lead to further backlash. At least this way, Burnes has a chance to bounce back while also giving Pat Murphy a fighting chance in his first year as manager. Yet, as we’ve seen before, just because the Brewers want to keep Burnes today, it doesn’t mean a team won’t call with an offer too good to refuse tomorrow.
Related: 3 New York Yankees pitching targets after striking out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto