Blue Jays: Jose Berrios trade makes the whole staff better

The Blue Jays made a big splash on Friday by acquiring Jose Berrios from the Twins, and the right-hander makes the whole pitching staff better with his presence.

The obvious place to start is in the rotation, where he’ll join Hyun Jin Ryu and Robbie Ray to give the Blue Jays a very formidable trio at the top. I’d even go as far to say that the Jays are well set up for a playoff series now, and if Alek Manoah can continue his solid performance then things look even better.

Berrios brings a 7-5 record with a 3.48 ERA and a 1.044 WHIP across 20 starts, as he’s been the most reliable starter for the disappointing Twins this year. He’s been a durable workhorse, throwing 121.2 innings over those 20 starts, and racking up 126 strikeouts along the way. He might not be an unquestioned ace calibre starter, but he’s definitely a huge upgrade and likely sits in the tier just below the Cy Young winners of the baseball world.

Not only does the acquisition make the rotation better, it also gives the bullpen a boost as well, both in the immediate term and likely down the line. For now the Jays can move one of Steven Matz or Ross Stripling to the bullpen, which will give them another weapon that’s capable of throwing multiple innings, reducing the strain on the rest of the group. They could also use their depth in order to keep their starters fresh down the stretch, as Ryu has benefitted from some time off in the past, and Manoah’s workload might get high enough that skipping a start from him makes sense.

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As far as starting depth, the Blue Jays may also have the luxury of using a couple of other pitchers out of the bullpen in Thomas Hatch, and hopefully at some point with Nate Pearson. The latter is still working his way back from a sports hernia injury, but the club has already indicated that he’ll work out of the bullpen if he’s able to make a 2021 return to the big leagues. If the Jays can get the best of Pearson, he could be a dynamic arm to throw into the bullpen mix, and Hatch proved himself to be quite valuable in the role in 2020 as well.

As I look at the Blue Jays’ pitching depth chart after the latest trade, I’m starting to see a group that has some real potential, which feels surreal to say after the state of things as recently as earlier this month. Just have a look at how things are lining up now, and this isn’t including Hatch or Pearson.

I mean, it’s not the best pitching staff in baseball by any means, but it’s a group with enough talent that there are plenty of reasons for optimism. The additions of Brad Hand, Adam Cimber, and Trevor Richards were all quieter moves, but throw them in with Berrios and Ross Atkins and the front office should have moved the needle quite a bit here.

It stings a bit to see the Blue Jays give up elite prospects like Austin Martin and Simeon Woods Richardson, but that’s the cost of doing business when you’re bidding against teams like the Padres. For now, the front office and the team has vastly improved the pitching staff with this decision, and likely breathed a whole new level of energy into the fan base, and more importantly, into a clubhouse that’s ready to take the Rogers Centre field for the first time in nearly two years.