Headlines were made last week when the Milwaukee Brewers and Baltimore Orioles completed a trade, landing the O’s right-handed ace Corbin Burnes. With Burnes set to hit free agency after 2024 and the relationship between him and the organization severely damaged after his recent round through arbitration, it seemed like only a matter of time before he departed Milwaukee.
While the team did at least receive compensation for Burnes, it’s the latest blow for a Milwaukee organization that has lost its identity this off-season. It started when GM David Stearns left for the New York Mets, followed by manager (and former Rockie) Craig Counsell leaving to take over the dugout for the division-rival Chicago Cubs and co-ace Brandon Woodruff getting DFA’d after his late-season shoulder woes last year.