Now that Max Scherzer is available, I’m not sure José Berríos is actually the most sought-after starting pitcher on the market, but he does come with an extra year of team control (Scherzer is just a rental) and he is having a really solid season. The question, of course, was never his attractiveness on the market, but rather the Twins willingness to actually trade him.
Well, the tides appear to be turning … quickly.
Possibility of Twins trading RHP Jose Berríos increasing, sources tell me and @DanHayesMLB. Market exceeded Twins’ expectations; team now has offers in hand. Virtually all contenders have checked in. SD, TOR, LAD, TB, NYY among those with varying levels of interest.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 29, 2021
The Padres, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Rays, and Yankees are all reportedly interested in acquiring Berríos and word is the Padres are among the most aggressive suitors. I’d be surprised if the Giants weren’t also involved given their interest in Scherzer, but maybe a higher-impact rental makes more sense for them.
In any case, the rumors are getting intense, with potential returns from the Dodgers (for either guy) already getting thrown around:
#Dodgers RHP prospect Ryan Pepiot has drawn interest from #Nats and #Twins as a candidate to be included in the Scherzer or Berríos deals, respectively, as I mentioned earlier today on @MLBNetwork. @MLB @MLBPipeline
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 29, 2021
Now, by default, there is some overlap with the Zach Davies market here, but both Scherzer and Berríos are in a tier (or two) above the Cubs starter. And all things considered, it feels likely that these two markets (and possibly also the market for Kyle Gibson) will have to be resolved before the Cubs make their move with Davies.
They’re not competing assets, mind you, but it just feels like it’s going to work in that order of operations, especially now that Davies got through his start and is therefore not a rush to be traded before the deadline.