Orioles’ Blockbuster Trade Catches Yankees Manager’s Attention

The Baltimore Orioles now have Corbin Burnes on the pitching staff and New York Yankees manager has some thoughts.

The Baltimore Orioles didn’t make the trade for Corbin Burnes to get everyone’s attention. But it’s definitely a benefit.

Witness the New York Yankees, one of the teams set on pursuing the Orioles as they defend their American League East title in 2024. The Yankees have added Marcus Stroman to their pitching staff, added some bullpen arms and reinforced their outfield with trades for Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo and Trent Grisham.

The Yankees failed to win at least 90 games missed the postseason for the first time since 2016.

So, things had to change for manager Aaron Boone and his team. But that doesn’t mean the rest of the division remained static.

The Orioles’ trade for Burnes caught everyone’s attention. In 2023 he went 10-8 with a 3.39 ERA in 32 starts and had an NL-best WHIP of 1.069.

The deal brings a previous Cy Young winner to Baltimore and allows him to anchor a rotation that features some of the best young arms in the game.

The rotation could also include Kyle Bradish — who finished in the Top 5 in Cy Young voting last season — along with Grayson Rodriguez, John Means, Dean Kremer and Tyler Wells.

On Saturday, Boone commented on the move for the first time. His thoughts?

“That could be a bit of a problem,” Boone said to MLB.com on Saturday.

The Orioles won 101 games last season without Burnes. With him? Well, yes, the Orioles could be a “bit of a problem,” as Boone said.

The Yankees do have a solid rotation, with current AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole as the ace. With Stroman, the Yankees anticipate having Carlos Rodón, Nestor Cortes and Clarke Schmidt in their rotation.

The Orioles have upped the ante, that much Boone and the Yankees are keenly aware of.