Dream Phillies starting rotation for the 2024 season

No. 2: Corbin Burnes

The first external name on this list is Corbin Burnes. Is a Burnes trade likely? Probably not. Despite that, it's hard to make a dream rotation without Burnes being a part of it.

Philadelphia trading for Burnes would come with a major flaw that could stop them from executing the deal. He's in the final year of team control. Normally, that wouldn't be an issue for a Phillies team that has not been shy about spending money, but with Wheeler's contract expiring as well, that creates a ton of uncertainty regarding the front of this rotation. Whether the Phillies will want to deal with that remains to be seen.

If they're just looking to field the best rotation in 2024, Burnes should be a part of it. It looks like the Brewers are looking to become sellers (subscription required) this offseason, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, and Burnes could be a major part of that.

By acquiring Burnes, the Phillies would be adding one of the best pitchers in all of baseball to take Aaron Nola's spot. He has proven to be durable in recent years and is still on the right side of 30. He's a player the Phillies could acquire for fairly cheap (cheap for a player of Burnes' caliber) due to his contract status and could extend him to a longer-term deal to lead their rotation for years to come. The best part is that he's already been linked to the Phillies (subscription required).