Corbin Burnes' Family, D-backs' Potential Brought the Ace to Arizona

The Arizona Diamondbacks' newest ace right-hander Corbin Burnes was introduced for the first time as a member of the club on Wednesday.

Burnes, along with owner Ken Kendrick, team president Derrick Hall, general manager Mike Hazen, and agent Scott Boras spoke with members of the Arizona media, including Diamondbacks ON SI's Jack Sommers to kick off his D-backs career.

Burnes certainly wasn't a player who had been among the rumors relating to Arizona this offseason. The deal came as a surprise to fans and media alike, totaling $210 million over six years, the largest contract in team history.

But it wasn't actually the right-hander's biggest offer. Burnes chose the Diamondbacks for more than financial reasons. According to the ace, the Diamondbacks had always been a dream destination.

"I had to rely on Scott [Boras] a lot with the info that we were getting and teams that were interested, but when we heard that this could be an opportunity we got really excited. That's something that we've always [dreamed] about, like, 'Oh, you know, what happens if the Diamondbacks call?' We'd be like, 'Well, we were going to have to take it.'

"So we were fortunate that they were interested and, from talking to Scott, it sounds like it came together pretty quickly. So for us, that showed just how much they wanted us to be here and how much we wanted to be a part of the D-backs. So it was just kind of a match made in heaven," Burnes said.

Burnes and his wife, Brooke, moved to Arizona back in 2018, while he was still a member of the Milwaukee Brewers. They've since added three children, including a pair of twins to their family roster.

"We didn't want to have to continue to keep moving around multiple times a year. So we settled on coming out here and we've loved it ever since. We've lived all over Phoenix in the time we've been out here," Burnes said.

"We love being out here. We love all parts of the city. So we're glad to continue to be a part of this community and to continue to give back."

But now, rather than having to be away from his family for long periods of time, the ace can remain close to his family as a member of the D-backs.

"For us, the family aspect of it, living here... being able to be at home year-round, just kind of where we're at in our life with twins being born in June, son's getting ready to turn three, just kind of this stage of life we're in," he said.

"To be able to spend the most time with them that I can was crucial. Getting to wake up and take my son to school here in a couple of years is a lot better than having to FaceTime him in the morning saying 'Have a good day at school.' So for me, that was a big piece of it."

Clearly, family is crucial to Burnes, and the Diamondbacks offered him an opportunity he wouldn't have been afforded elsewhere.

But it's not just about convenience. Burnes said he knew Arizona would be competitive for a long time back in early 2023. He emphasized that the way the club went about winning baseball games, and their potential for future success stood out to him.

"I remember telling people that they're playing a different style of baseball," said Burnes, "and I think we're starting to see that more and more around the league. But to me, the Diamondbacks were the first team to do that.

"You know, they've drafted, they've developed well to play that style of game. So I'm happy to be a part of it and to join a rotation that was already really good. And I think we've got the pieces to be a really good postseason team."

Burnes, with his 2021 Cy Young award and 3.19 career ERA, will join a staff already full of successful starters. He'll join right-handers Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly at the top of the rotation.

He noted that having a group of solid starters can elevate each pitcher's play and that friendly competition can be the fuel of an elite rotation.

"It's pushing each other. You get the most out of everyone on your team when you can challenge each other. And just, for what we did in Milwaukee, we always tried to one-up each other. When I had myself, [Brandon] Woodruff, and [Freddy] Peralta. So when I look at the three that we have, myself, Gallen and [Merrill] Kelly, or [Eduardo] Rodriguez, or whoever it is, you create that internal competition of constantly wanting to one-up each other."

"So when you do that, and all of a sudden you look, and you're in August, and you've got a lead in the National League West, that you're sitting there going 'hey, we blinked, and we're in first place.' So it's just one of those things... creating that internal competition, not only in the pitching group, but the position player group, just constantly pushing one another. It gets the most out of every player, and it gives you the best chance to win a lot of baseball games."

Burnes' agent, the famed Scott Boras, also represents Gallen. Boras said that he had "probably never heard [Gallen] more excited" than when he told him Burnes would be joining the rotation.

Burnes reciprocated the excitement, and said that Gallen was the first one to reach out to him once the deal was done.

"I probably know Zac the most of anyone on the team," said Burnes, "so it'll be fun to share a rotation with him and just a lot of other guys on the team."

And the excitement stretches across the organization. Manager Torey Lovullo said he was "ecstatic" when he learned of the acquisition.

"This is a pretty monumental day here in the Valley, because we got arguably one of the best pitchers in all of baseball," Lovullo said.

"Not only is [Burnes] a terrific talent on the field, but there's a process. There's a thoroughness to who he is and what he means each and every day to himself and those around him. I think there's a very high baseball IQ that loves to compete.

"He's been unbelievable for the past 5 or 6 years and put himself in this position to get this type of contract. I feel like he's going to make everybody around him better. He hit that right on the head," Lovullo said.

Regardless, the Diamondbacks are clearly committed to building their roster back to World Series form.

Burnes will undoubtedly aid in that endeavor, and have a chance to contribute at the highest level. The right-hander is clearly all-in on this team, with plenty of his own wisdom to add to the room.

Living close to his family, and getting the opportunity to compete in postseason baseball were instrumental factors in bringing the Cy Young winner to the D-backs' organization.

With a potential for six years' worth of ace-tier pitching, Arizona is in a prime position to compete for seasons to come, and Burnes is well aware of that fact.

"This is a really good baseball team, young baseball team. So it's got many years of winning ahead of them. So that was part of the reason for looking at the Diamondbacks... I've said it before, I want to come in, I want to win. I want to win the entire time I'm here. And this is a team that's built to do that," Burnes said.

Corbin Burnes' Family, D-backs' Potential Brought the Ace to Arizona

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