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MLB Trade Rumors: Jose Berrios Deal Increasingly Possible; Yankees, More Linked
July 29, 2021
Having already gone into sell mode, the Minnesota Twins are reportedly intensifying their trade talks involving All-Star pitcher Jose Berrios.
Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Dan Hayes, the possibility of Berrios being traded is "increasing" because the market has exceeded Minnesota's initial expectations.
Rosenthal and Hayes noted virtually every playoff contender has checked in on Berrios, including the New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post added the New York Mets are in the mix as well.
Hayes noted the asking prices for teams selling has been described as "borderline ridiculous" to this point.
The Padres' interest in Berrios may not last much longer, as Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported they are close to acquiring Max Scherzer from the Washington Nationals.
Even with the Padres potentially out of the mix, there are enough good teams reportedly in on Berrios to at least make it worth Minnesota's while to listen before the trade deadline arrives at 4 p.m. ET on Friday.
The Blue Jays, Yankees and Mets are probably the teams with the most urgency to acquire a starting pitcher.
The Mets and Blue Jays rank 27th and 28th in Major League Baseball in innings pitched by their starters this season. Robbie Ray and Hyun Jin-Ryu are the only Toronto starters who have made at least 10 starts and have an ERA under 4.00.
New York currently has Jacob deGrom, David Peterson and Joey Luchessi on the injured list. Carlos Carrasco has yet to pitch this season due to a torn hamstring, but he's set to make his debut on Friday against the Cincinnati Reds.
The Yankees have already pulled off one blockbuster, acquiring Joey Gallo from the Texas Rangers to boost their offensive production. But they still need another top-of-the-rotation arm to pair with Gerrit Cole for a potential postseason push.
Berrios' value is certainly helped by the fact he has an additional year of team control in 2022 before hitting free agency. The 27-year-old has a 3.48 ERA with 126 strikeouts and 95 hits allowed in 121.2 innings this season.