Blue Jays acquire Jose Berrios from the Twins to boost the rotation

According to the Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Blue Jays have acquired a top-tier starting pitcher in Jose Berrios from the Minnesota Twins.

This is the move that Blue Jays fans have been waiting for, as the team has needed a major boost to their pitching staff and Berrios should give them exactly that. The 27 year old might not be an unquestioned ace calibre starter, but he’s a rock solid number two, and an arm that will make a significant difference for the Blue Jays.

Berrios  has been his typical effective self in 2021, posting a 7-5 record with a 3.48 ERA and a 1.044 WHIP over 20 starts for the Twins. The extra appeal comes from the fact that he’s not a rental pitcher either, as Berrios is still under contract control for the 2022 season. That would have been a big part of the appeal for the Blue Jays, who are on the outside of the playoff race right now, making a rental acquisition a bit of a gamble.

We’ve yet to hear what the return going to the Twins might be, but social media was on fire on Friday morning as Nate Pearson’s name was banded about. The former top prospect of the organization has struggled with injuries over the last few years, and while it would sting to send someone of his calibre back to Minnesota, it wouldn’t be surprising if that’s the type of return that it was going to take.

Update*- We’ll be sure to update you again here at Jays Journal once more information comes out about the deal, but reports are already breaking that Austin Martin will be headed back to the Twins, as well as Simeon Woods Richardson. That’s a pretty huge prospect price to pay, and we’ll debate later whether the Blue Jays may have overpaid. For now it looks like the Blue Jays are getting their long-coveted starting pitcher. A playoff rotation of Hyun Jin Ryu, Berrios, and Robbie Ray sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?

Here’s hoping Berrios can give them the boost they need to get there, as they could be a scary team to play in any length of playoff series.