"The Relationship Is Definitely Hurt": Corbin Burnes Trashes Brewers After Arbitration Hearing

Yes, you won a Cy Young award in 2021. But what have you done for me lately, Corbin Burnes? The Milwaukee Brewers took their ace to the arbitration table, and although they won the battle, they may have lost the war.

Every fear that going to an arbitration hearing against Corbin Burnes could harm his relationship with the Brewers was founded.

“There’s no denying that the relationship is definitely hurt from what [transpired],” Burnes said. pic.twitter.com/Xv8DFyiKde

— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) February 16, 2023

"You kind of find out your true value (to the team). You think you work hard for seven years in the organization and five years with the big league team, and you get in there and basically they value it differently than what you thought you've contributed to the organization.

"It's tough to hear it's tough to take. But they're trying to do what they can to win the hearing. But obviously I think there's other ways they could have gone about it, and been a little more respectful. 

"They won it, but when it came down to winning or losing, it was more than that for me... There’s no denying that the relationship is definitely hurt from what [transpired].”

The Brewers will "only" have to pay Burnes $10M this season, as opposed to the $10.75M he'd asked for. 

In order to save that $750,000, Burnes said the Brewers even blamed him for the team missing the playoffs in 2022.

“They basically put me at the forefront of the reason why we didn’t make the postseason last year. That’s something that probably doesn’t need to be said, we can go about a hearing without having to do that. There was no attacking of character, of who I was, but just some of the stuff that was said that definitely didn’t need to be said is something that kind of disappointed everyone.”

Was alienating your best pitcher really worth $750K for the Brewers? 

Photo: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports