Best Jose Berrios trades for Yankees, Cardinals and Astros
The Minnesota Twins may shop two-time All-Star Jose Berrios, but he won’t come at a cheap price.
As we creep closer to the July 30 trade deadline, rumors will pick up speed on which players may or may not be on the move. Among the biggest names involved in those discussions will be Twins starter Jose Berrios.
In 18 starts this season, Berrios has posted a 3.48 ERA, 1.095 WHIP, and a 9.4 K/9 rate across 108.2 innings pitched. He’s a two-time All-Star and considered to be among the elite arms of starters in the next few years.
So why would the Twins trade him? Minnesota (39-50) has dramatically underperformed after winning the AL Central last year, currently 15 games out of first place and 11.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. Barring a dramatic winning streak over the next two weeks, they will most likely not take any risks in terms of being buyers this season.
Berrios, 27, will earn $6.1 million in 2021, and he has one final year of arbitration eligibility before becoming a free agent in 2023. He’ll likely demand a hefty contract out of the range of what the Twins are looking for, and even more so if they repeat and underperforming season in 2022.
The ceiling is high for Berrios right now, so the best option for the Twins could be to sell while the price is high.
3. Jose Berrios could put the Yankees back in the postseason race
There’s no shortage of expenses or risks the Yankees will take to win, and this trade deadline will be no different. Catching the division-leading Red Sox (8 GB) and second-place Rays won’t be easy, but the Bronx Bombers should have an easier path to a Wild Card (4.5 GB).
While the Yankees could use a boost offensively, adding a hard-thrower like Berrios could put their starting rotation over the top. Yankees starers own the 12th-lowest ERA (3.96) in the majors this season. Pairing up Berrios with Gerrit Cole would surely provide one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball.
It won’t be cheap, and rightfully so. Minnesota will demand a high price for Berrios given his future projections and extra year of team control.
The Yankees began the season with the 18th-best farm system according to MLB Pipeline.
Outfielder Jasson Dominguez is New York’s No.1 prospect and the No.23 prospect among MLB’s Top-100 rankings. The 18-year-old figures to be a future star in the big leagues, and is the type of youngster who could swing a deal of this magnitude without having to give up much else.
It’d be a large risk for the Yankees, so on a smaller scale they may prefer to part ways with one or more of six of their Top-10 pitching prospects
New York doesn’t have much success from their younger MLB-ready players on their current roster at the moment. Someone like outfielder Clint Frazer, 26, could be thrown into a deal, but his .186 batting average and .633 OPS this season has put his stock at an all-time low.
If the Yankees do decide to roll the dice and part ways with some of their big-name prospects, they should be able to keep Berrios with an offer he’s looking for.