Could the Brewers Trade Corbin Burnes for Gleyber Torres?

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.