Brewers GM expects Burnes to start next season with team

Milwaukee Brewers general manager Matt Arnold doesn't expect to trade ace right-hander Corbin Burnes before the beginning of the 2024 campaign.

"I would expect him to be a Brewer here next year," Arnold said during an end-of-season press conference on Tuesday, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy.

A trade involving the 2021 National League Cy Young winner has been rumored for more than a season after the 28-year-old said he heard "nothing" from Milwaukee's front office regarding a contract extension in September of last year.

Burnes admitted matters only got worse between the two sides after the organization blamed him for missing the playoffs during the last arbitration process.

"There's no denying that the relationship is definitely hurt from what (transpired) over the last couple of weeks," Burnes said in February.

"There's really no way of getting around that. ... Some things that are said - for instance, 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."

Despite the contentious relationship, Burnes played the entire 2023 season with the Brewers, helping them win the NL Central division. However, Milwaukee was swept in the wild-card series by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Brewers plan to assess every area of the organization following the loss, which could lead to changes.

"We're not comfortable with where we are," Arnold said, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Todd Rosiak.

Veteran manager Craig Counsell could be among the changes.

The 53-year-old's contract is set to expire and has been linked to the New York Mets. New York recently hired Counsell's former boss, David Stearns, as president of baseball operations.