Brewers Pitcher Says Baltimore Orioles 'Messed Up' Trading This Prospect

No matter what the Baltimore Orioles got in return, at least one Milwaukee Brewers thinks they made a mistake trading this player.

Jun 5, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Joey Ortiz (3) advances to first on a walk against the Philadelphia Phillies in the eighth inning at Citizens Bank Park. / Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles felt they needed a veteran pitcher this offseason. Turns out they were right.

The Orioles went out and got Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Corbin Burnes, a Cy Young winner who has provided crucial consistency to a rotation that can’t quite seem to get healthy at the same time.

But, there’s a price to be paid to land a player like that, and that price was two players — pitcher DL Hall and infielder Joey Ortiz.

Hall made four starts before he suffered a left knee sprain and went on the 60-day injured list. He’s on a rehab assignment with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds.

Ortiz, on the other hand, has slid over to third base and emerged as one of the Brewers’ top offensive players this season.

Through his first 62 games he is slashing .282/.383/.475/.858 with six home runs and 27 RBI.

That has one of Ortiz’s teammates, pitcher Bryse Wilson, thinking the Orioles may have screwed up and said so after a recent game.

Bryse Wilson on Joey Ortiz: “I think the Orioles messed up. Obviously they get Corbin but that’s a generational player right there. He hits, he plays elite defense.” pic.twitter.com/reJtQPpdDb

— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) June 15, 2024

“What's not to like?” Wilson said. “I mean the guy’s batting what — .290? — he’s got a lot of power and some really good exit velo. I feel like when he came over the big thing was the defense and we've seen the defense. … I think the Orioles messed up, I'm not gonna lie to you. Obviously they get Corbin. But you know that's (Ortiz) a generational player right there. I mean he hits, he plays elite defense. It’s awesome to have him and he plays everywhere.”

Ortiz played 15 games last year for Baltimore and batted just .212. But they knew he was talented.

He was a Top 30 prospect after they took him in the fourth round in the 2019 MLB Draft. The Orioles moved him to the 40-man roster after the 2022 season to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft.

But they also have a logjam of young talent and they may have had no place to put Ortiz.

Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser and Adley Rutschman are already on the team. Players like Jackson Holliday, Coby Mayo, Samuel Basallo and Heston Kjerstad are waiting in the wings.

Sending Ortiz to Milwaukee gave him a chance to play every day. Getting Burnes in return gave Baltimore the ace they needed.

He’s putting together an All-Star and, perhaps, Cy Young season as he is 8-2 with a 2.14 ERA in 15 starts. He’s struck out 89 and walked 24. He’s also 5-0 in his last seven starts.

It’s emerged as a trade in which both sides got something out of it.