Brewers GM Matt Arnold doesn’t foresee Corbin Burnes leaving in offseason: “I would expect him to be here next year”
Corbin Burnes could eventually be on a different team. That was the rumor last offseason, as potential trades were pitched all across the sport. That's once again the rumor this year, especially so, as the Milwaukee Brewers flamed out of the postseason once again.
Nevertheless, Burnes is not an unrestricted free agent until 2025. For now, he's a Brewer, and their GM Matt Arnold believes that he will remain so in 2024:
"I would expect him to be a Brewer here next year."
The team has a few potential issues in terms of team control. Burnes, Willy Adames and Brandon Woodruff are all in the final year of their contract, but Arnold is not anticipating a trade of the former NL Cy Young.
Things could change, though, and a pitching-needy team could make a huge offer. The free agent market for pitching is not terribly strong, but having a potentially available Burnes changes things.
Shohei Ohtani can't pitch next year, and the rest of the FA market looks like this:
- Marcus Stroman
- Clayton Kershaw
- Hyun-Jin Ryu
Burnes would immediately vault to the top of teams' lists, but he's evidently not available.
What's next for Corbin Burnes?
Don't discount a potential trade, especially if someone like the New York Yankees or Los Angeles Dodgers comes calling with a big offer. However, if he remains in Milwaukee, the pitcher will need to turn his eyes towards a new contract.
It's unclear, based on Arnold's comments, whether or not an extension is on the way. He expects him to stick around in 2024 but didn't say anything about 2025 and beyond.
Corbin Burnes probably wants an extension. Playing in a contract year can be stressful and distracting, so he probably wants to lock things down. If so, he could be in line for a massive contract.
He won the Cy Young previously and is one of the league's best pitchers. He'd be looking at probably eight years or more and $30 million or more AAV. Will the Brewers shell that out for their ace?