Dodgers Rumors: Expert Thinks LA Will Trade for Cy Young Winning Pitcher in the Offseason
The Dodgers could be entering an offseason of major change in the rotation after this year. Julio Urias is a free agent at the end of the year. So too is Noah Syndergaard, who signed a one-year deal with the squad this offseason. And then there's Clayton Kershaw, who could decide that this is going to be his final season in the big leagues.
Between those three guys, there could be some major changes in LA's starting rotation moving forward — and there could also be some room to make a splash.
That's why, over at The Athletic, MLB writer Jim Bowden made a pretty big prediction in his article predicting 23 things ahead of the 2023 season. He said Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes is going to win the National League Cy Young Award, and then get traded to the Dodgers in the offseason:
"Corbin Burnes and Shane McClanahan are named the Cy Young Award winners of their respective leagues. Burnes is then traded in the offseason to the Dodgers."
Burnes is one of baseball's best pitchers, and would be an incredible addition to the front of the Dodgers rotation. For great in-depth analysis on Burnes and a potential trade, you can watch this video from Doug McKain of Dodgers Nation:
Burnes is already a one-time Cy Young Award winner in 2021, and Bowden is predicting he wins a second before ultimately getting shipped off to LA.
The 28-year-old had a 2.94 ERA and a National League-best 243 strikeouts last season, following up a 2021 campaign where he had a major league-best 2.43 ERA and 12.6 strikeouts per nine innings.
He has some of the most dominant stuff in baseball, and went to arbitration with Milwaukee this offseason over a couple hundred thousand dollars.
The relationship definitely seems to be souring, which is why he's a prime candidate to get traded either this trade deadline, or in the offseason.
The Dodgers have more than enough talent in their farm system to trade for a two-time Cy Young Award winner on the good side of 30, and will be prepared to pay him whatever he's looking for to keep him in blue for a long time.
If they're able to trade for Burnes, and sign Shohei Ohtani in the offseason, they could have one of the best one-two punches in MLB history. And for what it's worth, that's exactly what Bowden predicts.
