This article is adapted from Steve Gilbert’s D-backs Beat newsletter. To read the full edition, click here, and subscribe to receive it regularly in your inbox.
Diamondbacks right-hander Brandon Pfaadt was at home in Louisville when he opened Instagram and discovered that free agent Corbin Burnes had signed with Arizona overnight.
“That was the first thing I saw in the morning,” Pfaadt shared. “I was like, ‘Wow, that came out of nowhere.’ I think it surprised everyone. It’s a huge signing for us. I already thought we had a strong team, and this just makes us even better.”
Outfielder Jake McCarthy found out about the signing through the official MLB Instagram account and had a similar reaction.
“My first thought was, ‘Is this real?’” McCarthy said. “I wondered if I’d fallen for a fake account. I knew he had a few teams to choose from, but I didn’t think we were in the mix.”
Burnes stunned the baseball world—and his new teammates—by signing a six-year, $210 million contract with the Diamondbacks.
While both Pfaadt and McCarthy believe Burnes will help the team win more games, they also have personal reasons to be excited about the addition of the former NL Cy Young Award winner.
“I’ve faced that guy a lot,” McCarthy said. “And let me tell you, I’m thrilled he’s on our side now. You can ask anyone in our lineup—he’s not a fun at-bat. Sure, we’ve beaten him a couple of times, but he’s the kind of pitcher you want going up against the other team, not your own. This move clearly makes us a much stronger team.”
Since debuting in 2023, Pfaadt has been a student of the game, learning from co-aces Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. With Burnes joining the team, Pfaadt is eager to add another mentor to his circle.
“I’ve learned so much from Zac and Merrill,” Pfaadt said. “I look up to those guys and watch them closely every day. I’m excited to have another guy like that to learn from.”
Burnes’ signature pitch is a cut fastball, a pitch Pfaadt has been experimenting with and hopes to add to his arsenal. Pfaadt, the only pitcher from the team’s Opening Day rotation to stay healthy through the entire 2024 season, sees Burnes as an ideal resource.
“I’ve been tinkering with a cutter for a while now,” Pfaadt said. “Maybe by the end of the year, I’ll be throwing Corbin Burnes’ cutters.”
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