The Milwaukee Brewers look to be focused first and foremost on winning next season as the latest reports point to plans for retaining ace starting pitcher Corbin Burnes.
In his latest column for USA Today, MLB insider Bob Nightengale reported that the Brewers are now expected to hold onto Burnes and take their best shot in 2024, rather than deal their most attractive trade asset as he heads into unrestricted free agency in 2025.
“The Milwaukee Brewers are now expected to retain Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes instead of trading him, still wanting to compete for the NL Central title,” per Nightengale.
Milwaukee Brewers Now Likely to Hold Onto Corbin Burnes for 2024 Season
Rumors around Burnes have swirled as offseason deals up to this point have not really indicated a clear direction for the Brewers in 2024 — the team has simultaneously added to its short-term pitching depth and locked its leading prospect Jackson Chourio into a long-term deal despite the fact that he hasn’t yet logged any MLB service time.
This offseason, and the outlook for the Brewers in 2024, have hinged on the fate of Burnes.
The likelihood of the ace being dealt has reached as high as 65% according to some reports, and he had recently been linked to a “blockbuster” trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, among others. But keeping him on the roster is a clear sign that Brewers General Manager Matt Arnold has his sights firmly set on back-to-back National League Central titles.
The 20-year-old righty has pitched 709 innings in his six-year MLB career, sporting a 3.26 ERA and racking up 870 strikeouts in that span. He won the 2021 National League Cy Young award, with a 2.43 ERA across 167 innings that year.
In 2023, he won 10 games and held a 3.39 ERA in 193 innings. Burnes was far and away the most dependable starter for the Milwaukee Brewers last season, pitching almost 30 more innings than Freddy Peralta and racking up more strikeouts than Colin Rea and Wade Miley combined.
Milwaukee Brewers Look for World Series Championship in 2024
By retaining Burnes, Arnold would be sending a clear signal that he believes the Brewers have a chance to make a deep playoff run in 2024. That might come as a surprise to some fans, as the departure of manager Craig Counsell to the Chicago Cubs seemed to push the Brewers toward a reset.
But if the team does hold onto Burnes, that might lead to more free agent signings for the Brewers, who could target some other win-now acquisitions like Isiah Kiner-Falefa. And it certainly makes a difference for the rest of the league, as many clubs are looking to bolster their own pitching rotations.
“If Burnes is unavailable for trade and with Ohtani off the market, teams looking to boost their rotations past next season may be inclined to hop on some of the other free agents (like Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery) sooner than later,” as Call To The Pen put it.