The Blue Jays and the Minnesota Twins have agreed to a trade that will send right-handed starter José Berríos to Toronto, according to the team.
Berríos is only 27 and won’t be a free agent until after the 2022 season.
In 20 starts this season, he's compiled a 3.48 ERA and a 3.94 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He’s a two-time All-Star as well.
The Twins acquire infielder/outfielder Austin Martin and right-handed pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson from the Toronto Blue Jays. Richardson is a top pitching prospect in the Blue Jay organization.
Martin was the fifth overall pick in last year's MLB Draft and viewed by many scouts as the best overall player in the draft. He’s currently ranked as the No. 16 prospect in the game at MLB.com, No. 21 at Baseball America and No. 23 at FanGraphs.
Berríos' availability comes as a surprise compared to what expectations were entering the 2021 MLB season. The Twins were expected to compete for, if not once again win the American League Central.
Instead, the Twins have suffered a season that has been a major disappointment. The Twins entered Friday with a 43-60 record on the year, good for last place in the division and some 17 games back of the White Sox.
Berríos is the second big-name Twins player to be traded, joining designated hitter Nelson Cruz.
Related
There also is the contract situation with Byron Buxton who the team has been unable to reach an agreement with on an extension. Both Buxton and fellow outfielder Max Kepler are controllable through at least next season (Kepler's contract includes a club option for 2024).
It might not be the last move the team makes. Twins writer Dan Hayes says the team is actively shopping more players and predicts a few more moves prior to the 3pm CT deadline. Minnesota looks poised to start rebuilding in order to improve the long term outlook.
Related
