The end of January and the beginning of February have turned into Christmas for Birdland.
After it was announced Tuesday that David Reubanstein was leading a group that includes Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. in the purchase of the Orioles, the gifts didn’t stop coming.
It has been reported that the Orioles have acquired former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for infielder Joey Ortiz (MLB Pipeline No. 63/ Orioles’ No. 6), left-hander D.L. Hall and the 34th overall pick in the 2024 draft.
Ortiz was stuck in a holding pattern as the depth of the Birds organization included AL Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson, No. 1 overall prospect Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg. The 40-man roster also includes veteran infielders Ramón Urías and Jorge Mateo.
D.L. Hall was once considered one of the top pitching prospects in the O’s organization. Though he struggled with command, the young lefty had a triple-digit fastball that gave the team hope of a promising young arm. He became a key component of the bullpen down the stretch as the Orioles won the AL East and top seed in the postseason.
Burnes, who was considered one of the top targets on the market, has a career ERA of 3.26. The recently turned 29-year-old was 10-8 across 32 games last season for the Brewers. He totaled 193.2 innings while striking out 200 batters with a 3.39 ERA and a WHIP of 1.07.
With Burnes becoming the de facto No. 1 starter in Baltimore, a possible rotation will consist of Burnes, Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, John Means and Dean Kremer.
This trade ignites a fanbase that witnessed a quiet offseason outside of future Hall of Fame closer Craig Kimbrel being signed to a one-year deal to fill in for Félix Bautista. What left a fanbase frustrated headed into February has ignited Charm City and has Birdland hopeful of a deep postseason run.
We would like to welcome Corbin Burnes to Baltimore and wish Joey Ortiz and DL Hall the best of luck in Milwaukee. Get ready Birdland, the Orioles are going to take flight.
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