The Minnesota Twins traded Jose Berrios, their starting pitcher, to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for two top prospects. This is the start of what is expected be a busy deadline for the club.
In return for their ace, the Twins received a pair top-100 prospects, including shortstop Austin Martin (No. 16 overall according to MLB Pipeline and right-handed pitcher Simeon woods Richardson, No. From Toronto, 68 overall.
The 27-year old starting pitcher is getting a good deal in return. He’s still under contract for one season.
Berrios expressed his love for Minnesota after his last start and spoke about how he wanted to “(continue doing that) for hopefully six, seven or eight more years.” He also mentioned his desire to reach free agency, since previous attempts to lock down the starter for the long-term hadn’t resulted in an agreement. The Twins were able to maximize their return by trading him before the deadline.
Martin, 22 years old, immediately becomes one the Twins’ top prospects. Martin, a shortstop and outfielder, is ranked second to Royce Lewis (No. 13 overall in MLB Pipeline’s most recent rankings. The Vanderbilt product was ranked No. The Vanderbilt product was the No. 5 overall pick in last season’s draft. He has a.281 on-base percentage at Double A and 37 walks in 55 games.
Woods Richardson would be the Twins’ No. Pipeline’s No. 3 prospect, ahead of Jordan Balazovic, the current top pitching prospect. He was selected in the second round by the Mets in 2018 and traded to the Blue Jays as part the return for Marcus Stroman.
Woods Richardson is currently at the Olympics in Tokyo, but he is expected to return to Double-A Wichita. He had a 5.76 earned run average with Double-A New Hampshire.
