Brewers deny rebuild after trading ace pitcher Corbin Burnes

Feb. 2 (UPI) -- General manager Matt Arnold cited potential future "ups and downs with young pitchers," but denied that the Milwaukee Brewers are going through a rebuild after trading ace Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles.

Arnold made the comments Thursday night after the Brewers traded their top starter in exchange for infielder Joey Ortiz, left-handed pitcher D.L. Hall and a 2024 MLB Draft pick.

Burnes, 29, went 10-8 with a 3.39 ERA over 32 starts in 2023. The three-time All-Star owns a 3.26 ERA and 45-27 record over 167 career appearances. Burnes led MLB with a 2.43 ERA en route to Cy Young honors in 2021, when he also led the league in fewest home runs allowed per nine innings (0.4) and most strikeouts per nine innings (12.6).

"I wouldn't at all look at this as any kind of rebuild at all," Arnold told MLB.com. "This is something, in fact, that we think helps us right now and helps us in the future."

Ortiz, 25, joined the Orioles as a fourth-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft. He hit .212 (7 of 33) in 15 games last season. He hit .286 with 33 home runs and 177 RBIs in 316 minor league appearances.

Hall, 25, was the No. 21 overall pick by the Orioles in the 2017 MLB Draft. The relief pitcher went 3-0 with a 3.26 ERA in 18 appearances last season.

The Brewers owned the top ERA (3.71) in baseball last season. The Orioles ranked seventh (3.89). Brewers starters also posted the second-best ERA in the National League.

"I think we're going to potentially go through some ups and downs with young pitchers," Arnold said. "I think that's just the course of how it goes with young arms. But Corbin was nothing but a warrior for us. He was tremendous in every way, pitched in huge games for us, always took the ball and was just a winner.

"I'm thrilled for him and his opportunity going forward and also very excited about the players we're getting back here, as well."

Brewers and Orioles pitchers and catchers will report Feb. 14 to respective spring training sites in Phoenix and Sarasota, Fla.