The perspective surrounding the pending trade deadline, really from all corners, is that this trade deadline is going to blow whichever way the Twins say it will blow. National writers and other teams are waiting for the Twins to start dealing, while fans are wondering how deep the 2021 sell off will run. The likely truth, however, is that the Twins probably don’t know yet either.
A lot of the speculation from both camps will revolve around Jose Berrios, as well it should. He is the best pitcher available for contenders this year. Or maybe he isn’t. I think Minnesota is willing to trade Berrios at the trade deadline, but don’t feel compelled to.
The Twins, only recently coming off of a couple of playoff appearances, are also seeing some very high end talent arrive at the Major League level this season. The Twins might move on from Berrios if they feel they can acquire a package that still allows the team to be competitive in 2022.
Of course, they might punt on 2022 if they get offers for Berrios, and perhaps other players that makes 2023-26 look even brighter than next year. It’s important to acknowledge for both fans locally and in other markets that this is highly dependent on what other teams bring to the table.
In a typical year, I would expect at least one team would have an offer for Berrios that would be tough to turn down, either for the 2022 season, or for the long haul, but this season is not typical. Many teams are likely still unsure of the status of their lower minors prospects. It would be tough to deal either from an unknown commodity, or from the top of the minors, and their best known commodities. It might still happen, but don’t be surprised if this deadline is a little on the quiet side.
The Twins certainly do hold the key to the deadline. Or at least, they will be responsible for putting it in the ignition to get things really started. As is usually the case, the market is what will dictate things. If the Twins don’t end up making as much noise at the deadline, it’s because the market wasn’t too their liking, and probably not because of a concrete decision that they have already made.
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