The MLB off-season was a historic one. Shohei Ohtani was the biggest move, changing organizations to the super team on the other side of town. There were other moves such as Jordan Hicks going to the Giants and the Dodgers acquiring Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The Brewers throughout most of the off-season were fine, doing the same type of smaller moves they do every year. Towards the end of the off-season, however, Brewers fans were devastated to find out that arguably the best pitcher in all of baseball, their beloved Corbin Burnes, had been traded to the Baltimore Orioles for big-game pitching prospect DL Hall and SS Joey Ortiz.
He debuted for the Orioles on Saturday in a spring training scrimmage against the Red Sox; here’s how he looked, and what he revealed during a mid-game interview.
How Did Corbin Burnes Look For The Orioles?
He only pitched 1 inning but he immediately showed the O’s what they’ve been missing. After a surprising one-and-done postseason showing, the Orioles reflected on what went wrong for them. Despite having one of the best lineups in baseball, the pitching was still too young and raw. Critics wondered why they didn’t trade for a pitcher last year, and the new ownership immediately corrected that mistake.
In one inning, Burnes finished with just one hit allowed and two strikeouts. He ended the inning with a nasty slider that the Red Sox hitter didn’t even swing at.
Corbin Burnes Revealed This About His Pitching
Overall, Burnes mainly stuck to fastballs and sliders, not showing his hand with his signature curve balls. He did, however, later reveal in a mid-game interview that he’s been working on improving his curveball game by playing with curveball variants and unique throwing motions that he’ll use in the regular season.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is a man that works on his craft.
How Has The Trade Worked Out For The Brewers?
In return for Burnes, the Brewers received DL Hall and Joey Ortiz.
Hall has played for the Orioles at the MLB level but has spent most of the time doing pretty well in minor league ball. He’s currently competing for a spot in the Brewers rotation, and with Burnes gone, he definitely has an open spot available for him to grow and learn.
Meanwhile, Joey Ortiz is considered one of the best baseball prospects, but he may need more time to develop as well. Expect him to be called up sooner rather than later.