For the Milwaukee Brewers, a trade involving starting pitcher Corbin Burnes may be a reality more now than ever.
After the very straightforward words from the 28-year-old former NL Cy Young Award winner on Thursday about the disappointment surrounding his arbitration hearing, the time for Corbin Burnes in Milwaukee could well be ticking down.
It’s impossible not to think about the possibility of a trade involving the Brewers ace in this context.
A $749,000 decision in favor of the Brewers could be the dividing line between Burnes and the Brewers, who were in complete damage-control mode shortly after his comments came out on Thursday. But are the attempts to smooth things over with Burnes enough? As things sit early in spring training, it doesn’t feel like a large possibility.
With that in mind, let’s look at 3 potential trade partners for the Brewers.
Corbin Burnes trade destination: Los Angeles Dodgers
Looking at the MLB farm system rankings from Keith Law of The Athletic (subscription required), the Dodgers are at the top of the list heading into the 2023 season.
However, the Dodgers are one place where, heading into the season, starting pitching is not a huge concern, especially if Dustin May can return to form after throwing just 30.0 innings last season while coming back from Tommy John surgery.
With the Dodgers expected to be in the mix for Shohei Ohtani in the offseason, Los Angeles may wait to pull any big trades or moves waiting to see if they can land the two-way superstar. However, if the Dodgers decide Burnes would be worth what would likely be a high price from the Brewers, they could have the capital to pull it off.
But would the Brewers actually send Burnes to another NL team? That seems highly unlikely.