Corbin Burnes Says Brewers Pinned Blame On Him For Missing Playoffs

The Milwaukee Brewers missed the postseason in 2022, finishing a disappointing 86-76. They were seven games behind the first place Cardinals in the NL Central, but just one game out of the third wild card spot.

Generally, when a team doesn't live up to preseason expectations, there's lots of blame to go around.

READ: CHRISTIAN YELICH OPENS UP ABOUT BREWERS’ DISAPPOINTING SEASON

But according to the Brewers' best player, the blame has overwhelmingly been placed on his shoulders.

Starting pitcher Corbin Burnes has emerged as one of the top arms in Major League Baseball in recent years. He hasn't had an ERA over 3.00 since 2019, and accumulated 12.1 over the past two seasons, according to Fangraphs.

Yet when he asked for $10.75 million from the Brewers, the team balked, offering essentially $750,000 under his asking price.

Instead of compromising or making a deal in the middle, the two sides headed to an arbitration hearing.

And Burnes was not happy with how it went.

CINCINNATI, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 24: Corbin Burnes #39 of the Milwaukee Brewers walks across the field in the fourth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on September 24, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Burnes Upset about Brewers' Blame Game

There seemed to be a bit of a disconnect between Burnes' expectations for arbitration and what actually transpired.

While acknowledging that the team was trying to win the hearing, he said he was still extremely disappointed with the lack of respect they showed him.

But that's how the arbitration process usually works. The team denigrates the player in order to justify saving money.

Of course, the wisdom of saving $750,000 and upsetting your top starting pitcher is debatable. But that's how it's been since arbitration started.

To Burnes' point, however, he seemed to take issue mostly with how they specifically blamed him for the Brewers missing the postseason.

"There's no denying that the relationship is definitely hurt," Burnes explained.

And while he should have been more prepared for negative remarks, that criticism feels unjustified.

The Brewers missed the playoffs for any number of reasons. Lack of starting pitching depth, poor offensive production from key players, and a disappointing start to the season from Josh Hader, just to name a few.

But it wasn't because of Burnes.

With the 28-year-old just two years away from free agency, it'll be fascinating to see how the damaged relationship plays out. If the Brewers fall out of contention early, they may be more motivated to trade Burnes for a substantial return.

Now that he's admitted his connection to the team is fractured, they may not believe they could retain him past 2024. Trading him during 2023 would give an interested team two playoff runs before he hits the open market.

The additional uncertainty for the Brewers and Burnes' public comments may depress his trade value somewhat, however. If teams think they can sign him without giving up prospects, they may decide to wait it out.

Regardless, none of the additional hassle seems worth saving $750,000 over.