Following an awkward arbitration case, Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Corbin Burnes revealed that the team held him partially to blame for coming a game short of a wild-card berth last season.
Speaking with Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, Burnes said the Brewers put him on the “forefront of the reason” the team failed to make the postseason.
“That’s something that probably doesn’t need to be said,” Burnes said. “You can go about a hearing without having to do that.”
On Tuesday, the Brewers won their arbitration case against Burnes. Instead of earning the $10.75 million he filed for, the Brewers will pay Burnes $10.01 million in 2023.
Burnes said the arbitration process was “tough to take,” adding that it impacted his feelings about the organization.
“There’s no denying that the relationship is definitely hurt over what [transpired] over the last couple weeks,” Burnes said. “There’s really no way of getting around that.”
Drafted in the fourth round of the 2016 MLB Draft, the Brewers are the only organization Burnes has known. Three seasons after making his Major League Debut, Burnes had a breakout 2021 campaign, earning his first All-Star nod and winning the National League Cy Young Award after going 11-5 with a 2.43 ERA in 28 starts. Burnes was an All-Star again in 2022, finishing 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA while leading the league in strikeouts (243) in a career-high 33 starts.
2023 is Burnes’ final year of arbitration, meaning he’ll be eligible for unrestricted free agency next offseason. After the hurt feelings over a $750k difference in salary, contract negotiations this time next year should be fascinating.
