Until the Brewers sign their star players to contract extensions, we’re probably going to continue to see ridiculous trade proposals involving them.
The big three of Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, and Willy Adames have all drawn attention as trade candidates this offseason in the wake of August’s Josh Hader trade. Despite the fact that the Brewers have said they intend to build around these players and will not trade them, national writers have persisted in making trade proposals, all of them bad.
This latest one really takes the cake.
MLB Insider’s latest trade proposal sends Corbin Burnes to the Orioles in a deal that makes zero sense whatsoever.
In the cruelest form of irony, MLB dot com gave this article the headline of “5 trade proposals that make sense”. Then MLB writer Thomas Harrigan wrote this hypothetical trade proposal.
Orioles get: Corbin Burnes
Brewers get: OF Colton Cowser (Orioles’ No. 4 prospect), INF Jordan Westburg (No. 5), LHP Cade Povich (No. 14), RHP Kyle Bradish
What in the ever loving crap is this? Another outfield prospect that’s close to MLB ready when we already have four of them, the Orioles’ 3rd-best infield prospect, a back end starting pitching prospect who maybe, maybe could be a No. 4 starter someday, and a guy with a career 4.90 ERA. That’s the return for two years of Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes? Are you kidding me?
Just wait, it gets funnier.
“This is a steep price for the Orioles to pay, but we’re not asking them to part with any of their top three prospects — Gunnar Henderson, Grayson Rodriguez and Jackson Holliday.”
– Thomas Harrigan
Then why in the world would the Brewers even consider doing this deal? If they aren’t getting one of the top three guys, let alone multiple of the top three guys, it makes NO SENSE for the Brewers to do this. None.
Pocket, Mr. Harrigan, let’s hear your explanation for why this makes sense for the Brewers to do.
“From the Brewers’ perspective, it would be difficult to part with Burnes, but pitching development has been an organizational strength for Milwaukee. Drafting and developing position players has been a different story. This trade would give the Brewers two Top 100 position-players prospects who should be ready to contribute in 2023, as well as a 22-year-old lefty with upside and a back-end rotation piece for a pitcher who is going to be a free agent two years from now. And with Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta, Eric Lauer, Aaron Ashby and Adrian Houser remaining on the roster, the Brewers would still have the arms to contend in the NL Central next season.”
– Thomas Harrigan
Oh, so since we can develop pitching really well it makes sense to trade the best starting pitcher we have for another outfielder to get lost in the shuffle here, Baltimore’s third best infield prospect, and some back end pitchers, oh but one guy has ” upside” so he’s worth it. The Brewers have all these other good arms so what do they need a Cy Young winner for? They can trade him for scraps.
This is such a weak justification for this trade. There is nothing in Harrigan’s explanation that would even begin to be convincing to the Brewers to make this kind of a trade. Nothing.
Pocket, wait. You want to hear the really funny part? It’s too good.
According to Harrigan, it’s the ORIOLES who would say no to this gift of a trade deal.
“Who says no? Of the two teams, the Orioles would be more likely to pass on this offer, if only because Burnes has just two years of control remaining and doesn’t perfectly align with the team’s perceived contention window.”
– Thomas Harrigan
Are you kidding me? Are the Orioles the ones to say no to getting Corbin Burnes while keeping their top three prospects in Henderson, Rodriguez, and Holliday? They say no to moving their third best infield prospect and Colton Cowser for the ace starter they need?
It’s not the Brewers that say no given how they perceive their contention window to be right now and Burnes is the best player in this deal to help them contend. It’s not the Brewers who have said they aren’t trading Corbin Burnes. It’s not the Brewers who end up without a single one of the Orioles top three stud prospects in this trade. They say yes to this, but for the Orioles, it’s too much.
This is the most non-sensical trade proposal I have seen from a legitimate website since, well, last month when Anthony Castrovince did the same thing making up a trade to send Burnes, Willy Adames, and Christian Yelich to the Dodgers. But at least there he admitted that it would never happen. This trade from Harrigan is firmly in la-la land.
But according to MLB dot com, this Corbin Burnes trade makes sense. It makes sense to do it, the Brewers should have no complaints and if anyone would say no, it’s the Orioles. Insanity.
dark. Next. Ballparking A Corbin Burnes Extension Price Tag