Could the Brewers Trade Corbin Burnes for Gleyber Torres?

[Ryan Pollak]

Gleyber Torres has been subject to trade rumors for a couple of years. The Yankees are looking for a starting pitcher. Will the Brewers swoop in and trade for the infielder and prospects for the cost of Corbin Burnes?

Image courtesy of © Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

If the Milwaukee Brewers want to keep their title at the top of the NL Central, the team will have to make some moves and pretty quickly, too.

As players start flying off the free agent market, the Brewers have acquired most of their talent from trades. They’ve already added Jake Bauers, Taylor Clarke, and Oliver Dunn in trades this offseason, so why not keep delving into it?

While we are still determining what to make of the Brewers' situation with their starting pitcher Corbin Burnes, the most likely outcome will be Burnes walking in free agency after the 2024 season. It may be time to part ways with him to get something back in return. But it doesn’t have to look like a sell rather than a retooling for the future. Gleyber Torres of the New York Yankees might be a piece the team needs to provide a pop in the lineup. Let’s examine why a Burnes for Torres trade might work for both the Brewers and the Yankees.

Torres to Milwaukee?
Let’s get this out of the way: the Brewers don’t exactly need a middle infielder, nor do they necessarily need another expiring contract on their roster. However, the Crew will need a constant power bat in their lineup.

What makes matters worse is that the fan base has been against the idea of trading their second baseman. But according to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, the Yankees have been fielding offers for Torres for the last year and may trade him for a pitcher they want “without hesitation.”

A two-time All-Star, Torres has a career .267 batting average, a .789 OPS, and a 115 OPS+. His strikeout percentage was 14.6 percent last year, the lowest in his career.

His hitting ability against the starting LHP from last season (.347/.442/.584) suggests Torres can be used in a platoon role with Brice Turang. That doesn’t mean he can’t be a regular DH when facing right-handers. Last season, Torres had 544 plate appearances against RHP, resulting in 17 homers, 53 RBI, and a .273/.340/.432 line. He has remained healthy for most of his career, appearing in 158 games last season.

Torres is in his last year of arbitration, expecting around $15 million this season. With Burnes expected to make around the same amount and both he and Torres eligible for a qualifying offer next season, it would be considered a wash on the payroll.

The Crew can also look at some remaining arms in free agency should they want to fill the rotation. Michael Lorenzen, Alex Wood, and Brandon Woodruff are all affordable options available.

Burnes to New York?
The Yankees were in a very competitive AL East division, only the Red Sox ended the 2023 season below .500. New York, however, finished in fourth in the division, 19 games behind the division-winning Baltimore Orioles and seven games behind the third Wild Card spot.

That's not to say their pitching was bad. The Yankees had the third-best opponent batting average (.234), the sixth-lowest WHIP (1.24), and were in the top ten in ERA (3.97). However, most of that could result in Gerrit Cole having a Cy Young Award-winning season.

Putting all the starting pitchers' numbers together (including the spot starts) minus Cole, you get a 32-46 record, a 5.06 ERA, and a 1.33 WHIP. They may need to invest in the rotation.

It was reported the Yankees were in on the star pitcher from overseas, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. They even made a significant offer. In the end, Yamamoto signed with the Dodgers on a 12-year, $325 million deal.

If the Yankees want to add a top-of-the-line pitcher, seeking a package for Burnes would improve the rotation for at least one season. As previously mentioned, Burnes is in his final year of arbitration. Since Burnes is a Scott Boras client, he’ll likely wait until the end of the season to get his bag. Because the Yankees are a larger market team, they would have a better chance of resigning him should he be interested in returning.

Not only that, if Gleyber Torres is included in the trade, they won’t add much, if anything, to their payroll, leaving the door open to add players on the market. Whether that be more arms for the rotation or a bigger bat to replace Torres, they have the same amount of money they had before.

Potential Trade: Corbin Burnes to the Yankees for INF Gleyber Torres, RHP Chase Hampton (#4 prospect, 98^th overall), 3B Tyler Hardman (#15 prospect), and RHP Carlos Lagrange (#25 prospect)

The value of a particular player can vary between other organizations depending on their contracts and accolades. For this trade, we used Baseball Trade Values to help get a more accurate look at what a Burnes-Torres trade will look like.

Burnes probably beats out Torres regarding their values, so it will take a few prospects to entice GM Matt Arnold and the Brewers organization. They might take the bait with MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospect Chase Hampton. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2022 draft, Hampton has already made his AA debut after one full season in professional baseball.

In nine starts in High A-Hudson Valley, he had a 2.68 ERA, 14.7 strikeouts per nine, and a 1.00 WHIP in 47 innings. He wasn’t the same in AA but only had half the season to work. According to an article from The Trentonian by Greg Johnson, Hampton has said he has grown confident in his body and has to keep putting in the work.

Hampton's fastball is up in the mid-90s and has some movement. He also has a strong slider and a curveball in the upper 70s. He even has a changeup but will need some work. MLB Pipeline suggests he’ll debut in 2025, which is fine. With Robert Gasser, Carlos F Rodriguez, and Jacob Misiorowski all getting ready in Nashville, the Brewers don’t need to rush Hampton through the system.

The Yankees could add Carlos Lagrange and Tyler Hardman to make the deal attractive. Baseball Trade Values suggests both, but one can be good enough.

Lagrange signed a deal out of the Dominican Republic and is still in rookie ball. However, his fastball has caught a lot of attention. Averaging the high 90s and topping off at 100 MPH, Lagrange is a work in progress with a great arm. He’s only 20 and has a reasonable amount of time to work on his other pitches, but striking out 106 batters in 74 2/3 innings and a .166 opponent batting average over two seasons is a good start.

Hardman, once a first baseman for Oklahoma, adjusted to third base in 2023. He doesn’t have a cannon of an arm but has impressed scouts with his defense. Hardman would be the perfect guy if the Brewers want an infielder who can provide some pop with the bat.

In 2023, he played the entire season in AA, hitting 26 home runs and had a .891 OPS. He likes to swing for the fences, which has led to strikeouts, especially in longer at-bats, striking out 33.2 percent of the time. Hardman could grow patience over time with his ability to spread the ball.

Should the Brewers add him, they might consider using him at third and first base to help get a regular corner infielder for the future. He probably wouldn’t be in Milwaukee until the 2025 season at the earliest. If all goes well, he and Brewer's 2023 first-rounder, Brock Wilken, could be manning the corners for the Brewers within a few years.

It may not be the move neither the Brew Crew nor the Bleacher Creatures would exactly want, but it’s a trade both teams can benefit from. This trade keeps both teams competitive for the 2024 season without burning a farm system or destroying a payroll. Whatever lies ahead is still uncertain, but with this trade, the Brewers are getting a head start on a new future.

Should the Brewers be interested in Gleyber Torres? Will the Crew move on from Corbin Burnes before Opening Day? What are some other options the team should consider? Let us know in the comments.

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[SF70]

No to Torres, but yes to:

Hampton (RHSP) & Lombard jr (SS) & Lalane (LHSP)

Hampton can rotation this season if needed. Lombard a 1st rd pick, has 5 (55) tool grades from BA, with the pedigree of a father having played in the bigs. Lalane, 6’ 7” LHSP, a high upside arm.

Lombard & Lalane are 3 years away, but worth waiting for. They also help fix the organization’s 2 biggest farm weaknesses — power bat SS’s & LHSP’s.

[Frisbee Slider]

‘If the Milwaukee Brewers want to keep their title at the top of the NL Central, the team will have to make some moves and pretty quickly, too.’

I disagree that Milwaukee must make meaningful moves to be the favorites to win the division. Woodruff is gone but he only pitched 67 innings last year. We probably sign Santana. We can pick up a Canha equivalent at the deadline, again.

We can expect progress from most of the younger players and by keeping Burnes, we have a very good rotation.

Granted, I realize winning the NL Central is different than winning a WS.

[Michael Trzinski]

I don't think Burnes is going to be happy this season, for two reasons: 1) last year's contentious negotiations, and B) Scott Boras is his agent and will be in Burnes' ear all season, I'm sure. Torres plus a couple others for Burnes seems reasonable. 

Like in times of crisis, don't wait until the last minute to stock up because the cupboards might be bare...

[Profbratsch]

We are not “keeping Burnes”-we essentially have him as a one-year rental, if he isn’t traded by the deadline, that is.

[Frisbee Slider]

14 minutes ago, Profbratsch said:

We are not “keeping Burnes”-we essentially have him as a one-year rental, if he isn’t traded by the deadline, that is.

Keeping Burnes for this season makes us favorites to win the division in 2024.

Cubs and Reds will be trendy but I’m not aware of their meaningful improvements.

[Redd Vencher]

That would be a garbage return for Burnes.

[rolafaive]

Woody is only gone in spirit at this time, until someone signs him I hold out hope that he wants to stay in Milwaukee and Milwaukee wants him, it is just a matter of finding a compatible number being you don't know if he will pitch at all in 2024.

[Frisbee Slider]

49 minutes ago, Michael Trzinski said:

I don't think Burnes is going to be happy this season

Burnes has $100+ million of reasons to pitch well this year.

[Rick Daltons Flamethrower]

Appreciate the article but not at all  excited about a trade with Burnes centering on a middle infielder. Need a 3B or 1B difference maker. I would not at all endorse a trade involving Torres as the centerpiece.

[wiguy94]

I don’t see any reason the Brewers should dilute a Burnes trade return getting back a short term player. The entire point of a Burnes trade is to set us up better to contend during the Chourio era not to win in 2024. 

[Austin Tatious]

Gut feel.  Brewers and Yankees make a deal for Burnes within the week.  Yanks are motivated and far more decisive than their rival Orioles.  I think there’s a good match here to be had. 

[CheeseheadInQC]

5 hours ago, Michael Trzinski said:

I don't think Burnes is going to be happy this season, for two reasons: 1) last year's contentious negotiations, and B) Scott Boras is his agent and will be in Burnes' ear all season, I'm sure. Torres plus a couple others for Burnes seems reasonable. 

Like in times of crisis, don't wait until the last minute to stock up because the cupboards might be bare...

I don’t get why Boras being in his ear would make him unhappy. That would only make sense if they wanted a trade + extension but since they intend to test free agency I don’t think it would matter. 

[TURBO]

My gut tells me that Corbin will be pitching for a BIG MONEY contract this season.  We should see CY YOUNG Burnes again if he has it in him!

[Michael Trzinski]

12 minutes ago, CheeseheadInQC said:

I don’t get why Boras being in his ear would make him unhappy. That would only make sense if they wanted a trade + extension but since they intend to test free agency I don’t think it would matter. 

Boras would turn Burnes even more against Milwaukee and that would make him unhappy. It's hard to explain, but I know what I meant. Once Milwaukee and Burnes collided last year, things would never be the same. If he stays, he'll do his best on the mound to build up the bidding price, but when the day comes, he'll book from Milwaukee like a lottery winner moving to a gated community. (Kinda what he will be doing anyway.) :)

[CheeseheadInQC]

22 minutes ago, Michael Trzinski said:

Boras would turn Burnes even more against Milwaukee and that would make him unhappy. It's hard to explain, but I know what I meant. Once Milwaukee and Burnes collided last year, things would never be the same. If he stays, he'll do his best on the mound to build up the bidding price, but when the day comes, he'll book from Milwaukee like a lottery winner moving to a gated community. (Kinda what he will be doing anyway.) :)

Eh, it’s not in Boras’ interest to do so. Nothing that distracts Burnes or even allows him to be portrayed as a malcontent is. And let’s face it, it’s not like he is having to talk Burnes out of re-signing on a team-friendly deal.

[Fear The Chorizo]

6 hours ago, Michael Trzinski said:

I don't think Burnes is going to be happy this season, for two reasons: 1) last year's contentious negotiations, and B) Scott Boras is his agent and will be in Burnes' ear all season, I'm sure. Torres plus a couple others for Burnes seems reasonable. 

Like in times of crisis, don't wait until the last minute to stock up because the cupboards might be bare...

1 - those weren't contentious negotiations, as the Brewers made Burnes a solid Arby 2 offer and Burnes opted to go to an arbitration hearing instead, then he got pouty because he lost.  The Brewers reached terms on ALL of their other arbitration cases, including Woodruff and Adames.

 

2 - I hate how Boras operates, but it's in his own best interest to keep Burnes as happy and productive as possible this season if he wants a shot at a decent agent's commission next offseason when Burnes becomes a free agent and doesn't wind up signing a contract until middle of spring training 2025.

 

Torres makes zero sense in a trade for Burnes from the Brewers' perspective - he's basically going to be a salary wash in his own 3rd year of arbitration and will be a free agent after next season.  The Brewers would be better off just sticking with Burnes for 2024 and then getting the QO draft pick compensation.

[Rick Daltons Flamethrower]

let's be real. Middle infielder is not our focus. Lets keep ur eyes focused on the prize. The prize is clearly not a middle infielder :)

[Rick Daltons Flamethrower]

If the Yankees are motivated for a trade let's trade for something that makes sense. Or not trade and sign a FA 3B or 1B. Cooler heads need to prevail.

[Trax]

Please, just no.