Cardinals can meet Twins asking price for Jose Berrios and then some
As expected, the Twins starter Jose Berrios is drawing interest, but he won’t come with a cheap price tag.
Among the most sought after pitchers in the days leading up to the July 30 deadline will be Twins starter Jose Berrios. He won’t be cheap, and teams inquiring about the two-time All-Star have been put on notice.
Dan Hayes of The Athletic broke down the asking price from the Twins in exchange for Berrios.
From the article:
— Blake Harris (@BlakeHHarris) July 16, 2021
"Early indications are the Twins asked another team that inquired about Jose Berríos for a pre-arb player and two top-100 prospects." https://t.co/cHmwDFDNX9
It really shouldn’t come as surprise Minnesota is asking for this kind of return package for a few reasons. One of which includes the remaining year of team control Berrios has. The 27-year-old will earn $6.1 million in 2021 and has one final year of arbitration remaining before becoming a free agent for the 2023 season.
Aside from his team-friendly contract, Berrios has pitched farely well this season. In 18 starts, Berrios owns a 3.48 ERA, 1.095 WHIP, and a 9.4 K/9 rate across 108.2 innings.
A team like the Cardinals could use a top-of-the rotation arm like Berrios to get back in the playoff hunt. However, it’d be a tough decision to determine just how much they’re willing to give up for a minimum of one and a half years of guaranteed control over Berrios.
The asking price for Twins starter Jose Berrios might be a bit much for most teams
That being said, St. Louis does have exactly what the Twins are reportedly looking for and then some. The following three Cardinals prospects are ranked in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100.
Cardinals Top-100 Prospects:
- LHP Matthew Liberatore (No.27)
- 3B/2B Nolan Gorman (No.28)
- C Ivan Herrera (No.80)
As far as pre-arbitration eligible players the Cardinals have to offer, ones currently on the big-league roster who the Twins could be interested in are Ryan Helsley, Genesis Cabrera, and Edmundo Sosa.
It’s not likely the Cardinals would take a big roll of the dice at the deadline. In order for that to happen they’ll need to shorten their eight game division deficit with the first-place Brewers, and it needs to happen fast.
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