It’s been more than a month and a half since the Orioles acquired 2021 NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes from the Brewers and it’s still almost unbelievable. Burnes is a caliber of pitcher whose like has not been added to the Orioles by either signing or trade in a long time. He is just the kind of top-end pitcher who fans have been clamoring for the team to add since the franchise’s fortunes reversed in the middle of the 2022 season, and this year, the team went out and got him.
What is it even like to go into a season with a starting pitcher on your favorite team about whom you can reasonably hope for great things based on a multi-year track record of big league excellence?