Milwaukee Brewers
MILWAUKEE, WI (WSAU) – The Milwaukee Brewers agreed to trade star pitcher Corbin Burns on Thursday night for two young players that some scouts believe could be difference-makers in Milwaukee for years to come.
Joey Ortiz, 25, was selected in the fourth round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of New Mexico State, according to Baseball America. He has received recognition for his defensive abilities over the years, and compared to what many scouts had predicted, the right-handed hitter has been more productive at the plate.
Between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk, in 600 plate appearances, he hit .284 with 35 doubles, 19 home runs, and a respectable 16.3% strikeout ratio. Ortiz is rated as a potential 70-grade (plus-plus) defensive shortstop in Baseball America’s scouting report.
Meanwhile, DL Hall, who made his MLB debut in 2022 after being selected in the first round out of high school in 2017, has played in 33 big league innings over the last two seasons. He has worked nearly solely in relief and has a 4.36 ERA. Hall can be a starter, though, as seen by his 96-mph fastball in big-league relief work. Hall also used a slider and changeup from the mid-80s with a curveball too. All four of those pitches do have room for improvement, according to Baseball America’s scouting report.
Brewers GM Matt Arnold spoke about acquiring Ortiz and Hall, saying, “So we felt like the opportunity to help our team right now with players like DL Hall, who was outstanding in the playoffs last year for the Orioles, is very young and Major League ready; Joey Ortiz, who we liked a lot; and a late first-round pick is a very well-balanced and exciting deal for us.”
“He’s thrilled to play anywhere. This guy’s a gamer. Hard-nosed kid. A great defender. Gold glove-caliber type is in our reports,” Arnold continued when speaking about Ortiz.
After the trade was announced, former first-round draft pick Ethan Small was placed on assignment to create space on the 40-man roster. Over the last two seasons, Small has made the switch to a more full-time bullpen role.
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