In case you missed it, the recent Orioles-Brewers trade is going to have ramifications beyond the NL Central and AL East. The Cubs chances and those of the rest of the NL Central just improved with the Brewers trade of Corbin Burnes.

The loss of the 29-year-old, former CY righty comes after Milwaukee let starter Brandon Woodruff walk. That Woodruff starts the season on the Il doesn’t matter. Last season, the Brewers rotation was easily the best in the division, and it just got weaker no matter how this trade pans out. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic explained away the move, and it probably makes sense in the long term, but won’t make attending games at American Family more pleasant for Milwaukeans.

Milwaukee is going to rely more heavily on 27-year-old, Freddy Peralta to shoulder the load. While his 11.6 K/9IP is impressive, he’s never logged more than 165.2 IP in a season. Wade Miley is going to have to shoulder more than he has in years. Aaron Ashby is coming off an injury and has maxed out at only 107 innings. 

Once spring training starts, it will be easier to evaluate the trade from both teams’ standpoint, but until then it’s worth discussing the real issues.

To hear Rosenthal and others tell it, the Brewers had to unload Burnes now (before he gets injured) when they can max out on the return. Time will tell if they got everything they could for Burnes. As he’s in his walk year and it seemed unlikely they could afford to pay him, it was better to trade him before he got injured and his value diminished. It’s better for Baltimore to have him for the entire season as well.

Aside from the impact on the rest of the division, the trade impacts the rest of the pitching market. Even with new owners it doesn’t seem likely that Baltimore will be in on Blake Snell, Dylan Cease or Jordan Montgomery. The White Sox trade partners just decreased by one. However, they may have a better idea what other teams will give up in a trade for Cease.

It’s always hard to tell if anyone in the AL East will feel the need to respond to Baltimore’s strike or if the value of the remaining starting pitchers’ value will jump accordingly.

Someone without a horse in the race, said that the Orioles move was good for the game, as it showed that the Orioles are all in. Aside from the fact that the Cubs should be better due to the trade. baseball is not better for this trade and ones like it. When smaller markets are forced to trade off talent because they can’t afford to pay even if they’ve had success. Like the Rays, Milwaukee probably will adjust, and recalibrate, but the loss of Craig Counsell will make it more difficult.

What’s in a name?

Did anyone ever think Bob Walk was a good name for a pitcher? Does anyone know what the “CM” in wrestler’s CM Punk stands for? Since it’s not his birth name, I’m sure he chose it for a particular reason. Was LR taken? Did he choose the particular letters to honor both grandmothers who died from horrific crocodile incidents? 

I have to say that Dayton Hall has a ring to it-kind of baseballsy. Yet, the newest Brewer (acquired in the trade with Baltimore) goes by DL (Dayton Lane) Hall. I know that MLB has moved on from the DL to the IL, but anyone that’s followed the game for more than an hour knows that the DL means disabled list. Not sure I’d want a guy named DL pitching for me anytime soon. 

The Brewers are taking a big chance on Hall and Joey Ortiz, a highly rated infield prospect from Baltimore. They are hoping Hall can transition to the rotation after only 33 ML innings and Ortiz after only 33 ML at-bats. Until players do it, they remain prospects. 

Maybe cancelling their Winter Warm-Up due to a snowstorm wasn’t such a bad idea.