Teams who are selling run the risk of losing a known commodity for some prospects who haven’t yet made it to the major leagues around trade deadlines.
The Twins had to make the painful choice to trade José Berríos, their 27-year-old ace, a few years ago. The Twins acquired Austin Martin and Simeon Woods Richardson, two of the Toronto Blue Jays’ best prospects, in exchange for Berríos.
It appears that the Twins made the right choice, as the trade has been in effect for almost three years.
The Twins appear to have prevailed in the trade for Jose Berríos.
Woods Richardson was the team’s #4 prospect at the time of the deal, and Martin was Toronto’s #2 prospect.
When these transactions take place, it’s uncommon that even one of the prospects—let alone both of them—becomes useful to the major league team. Nevertheless, given that both players are expected to be major contributors to the squad, the Twins did a good job with their scouting.
Although Martin, 25, had a difficult start to his Twins career, he has shown signs of improvement in his second tenure.
On June 13, Martin was brought up again from Triple-A, and he has had an immediate influence ever since. Although he is 4-for-8 with two RBIs, his best moments have not been in the field.
While Martin isn’t yet a regular player, he has established himself as a reliable utility player and appears to be headed in the right path for Twins supporters.
In order to prepare him for the current season, the Twins also acquired Simeon Woods Richardson, a promising starting pitcher who they provided some innings to in 2022 and 2023.
This season, the 23-year-old has established himself as a regular in the Twins lineup. Woods Richardson, who has started 11 games thus far, has a 2-1 record, a 3.29 ERA, and a remarkable 1.15 WHIP. He is as reliable as they come.
All things considered, the right-hander may never develop into an ace, but he has demonstrated that he can play a significant role in the rotation for years to come.
What the Blue Jays were given
Berríos’s lack of rental status and two years of team control were the main reasons he was so much sought after. But in 2021, the Blue Jays were vying for a postseason berth.
This was not achieved by the Blue Jays. Despite having a 91-71 final record, they were just outside of the playoffs.
Since 2021, Berríos has been a great pitcher for the Blue Jays, even though they did not make it to the playoffs. Berríos is still a consistent player; he started over 32 games in 2022 and 2023 and posted a strong WAR of 2.4 in 2023.
In 2023, Berríos contributed to the Blue Jays’ postseason run, but they were ultimately defeated by the Twins. He did, however, pitch brilliantly, going three innings, giving up just one run while striking out five.
For the Blue Jays, Berríos has been a reliable starter, going 34-28 with a respectable 4.07 ERA. Berrios has nothing to do with the Jays’ recent slump, and if they trade him before the deadline, he might even wind up giving Toronto some future assets.
Final judgment
It’s working out that this trade was an unusual win-win. The Twins have added two quality prospects who are already contributing significantly, and the Blue Jays have had a reliable starter since 2021.
The Twins win this deal, though, because the Blue Jays failed to reach their immediate objective of qualifying for the postseason in 2021, and they now have two players who are contributing and improving.
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