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The Baltimore Orioles made a big leap by acquiring 2021 Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers while retaining much of their MLB-leading prospect depth.
It was a blockbuster that immediately put all 2024 postseason contenders on notice, with multiple executives expressing envy and fear over the acquisition. In brief comments about the move, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone conceded that it will add a new challenge for his team.
“That could be a bit of a problem,” Boone said at an autograph-signing event, per the Athletic.
However, Boone is also optimistic that the Yankees’ own rotation “stacks up well against the division if healthy.”
How Do New York Yankees Project Against Corbin Burnes, Baltimore Orioles?
In a limited sample size, Burnes has definitely posed a problem for Yankees hitters in the past.
Last season, he racked up eight no-hit innings against the Yankees before being relieved. Aaron Judge went 0/3 with a strikeout. Giancarlo Stanton went 0/2 with a strikeout and a walk. In nine career at bats against Burnes, Anthony Rizzo has struck out four times.
Their new teammates have fared better. Juan Soto has faced Burnes in a single at bat and hit him for a double, while outfielder Alex Verdugo has two hits and two strikeouts in five at bats against him.
After trading for Soto, their own blockbuster acquisition of the offseason, the Yankees are unlikely to be badly fazed by any AL East pitching staff. The pairing of Soto and Judge along with any combination of Stanton, Rizzo, Verdugo, DJ LeMahieu, Anthony Volpe and Jasson Domínguez should be a strength for the team.
But in attempting to sound an optimistic note about his rotation, Boone might have inadvertently underscored the bigger “problem” for the Yankees.
New York Yankees Can Still Pull Off Another Blockbuster
The Yankees do have arguably the best starting pitcher in all of baseball on the heels of a Cy Young season from ace Gerrit Cole, who held opponents to a 2.63 ERA in 33 starts. But the rest of the rotation is another story.
The other starters in 2023 were Clarke Schmidt, Jhony Brito, Domingo Germán and Nester Cortes, none of whom kept his ERA below 4.20.
To address this, the Yankees signed Marcus Stroman, an All-Star with the Chicago Cubs last year. And they have been seen as a likely landing spot for Cole’s NL counterpart, 2023 Cy Young winner Blake Snell, but haven’t closed a deal.
Relying heavily on Cole and Stroman, both well past 30 years in age and 1,300 innings pitched, the Yankees are dependent on consistent health from both or significant improvement from others to emerge with the AL East title this season.
“With health, I think we’re going to be really good,” Boone said, according to The Athletic. “I’m really excited about some of the guys, like Carlos (Rodón) and Nestor (Cortes) coming off injury-riddled seasons… Bringing in Marcus — we feel like (the rotation) has a chance to be really good, but we gotta go make it happen.”
Boone is optimistic the rotation will become a strength in the daunting battle for a division title in 2024. But a blockbuster pitching acquisition on the scale of Burnes to the Orioles would change that optimism into a Yankees guarantee.
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