Blue Jays: The Minnesota Twins could be the ideal trade partner

Starters

The Minnesota Twins have one starter that would be a real assest if the Blue Jays could swing a deal, and that pitcher is Jose Berrios.

One of the top names on the rumour market this deadline, the right-hander is having another great season in the Twins rotation, starting 20 games so far this year and pitching to a 3.48 ERA through 121.2 innings. He currently sports a 1.04 WHIP on the campaign and has limited opposing batters to a .213 average and 14 home runs while only walking 32 batters. He also has a complete game on the season.

What makes Berrios an attractive trade target is that he too is not just a two-month rental, in that he will become eligible for free agency after next season (similar to Duffey and Rogers). This will most likely drive up the asking price for his services, which makes sense given he is pitching well and has one more year of arbitration control.

One-Stop Shop

Ideally, if the Blue Jays were able to swing a deal that could see Jose Berrios and Taylor Rogers join the club before Friday, those two alone could solve quite a few issues heading into the later months of the 2021 campaign.

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The team could add another reliever like Ian Kennedy (Rangers) or Richard Rodriguez (Pirates) but it seems like a package deal with Minnesota could help both teams if they feel inclined to let go of some players who will be requiring more money in their next year of arbitration, a potential issue for the small-market team.

Any potential deal with the Twins for Berrios, Rogers, and/or Duffey will require some prospect capital in return, and the bigger the package the more Jays’ assets will be needed to make the deal happen. The trade may hurt when it comes to names heading the opposite way and the risk may be high that Berrios or Rogers cannot find the same form in Toronto, but if the Blue Jays want to contend this year, adding players like Berrios and Rogers will move the needle and give the club a better chance to make the postseason, risk or not.

Obviously, the deal has to make sense and if the Twins ask is too high, then the Blue Jays should move on to other targets. That being said, if a deal can be made that sees one or two prospects head the opposite way (or more if they aren’t on the top 30 list), the Blue Jays could walk away from the deadline with an improved pitching corps that will compliment well beside its potent batting order, paving the way for another potential run at the World Series in 2021 and again in 2022.