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  • Minnesota’s Return for Berrios Continues to Look Better


    Ted Schwerzler

    The Minnesota Twins traded staff ace Jose Berrios roughly a year ago, and at the time the return was seen as a massive win. Fast forward to today and I think it’s worth suggesting that things look even better.

    Image courtesy of Lucas Boland/Caller Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

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    When dealing for prospects you have to evaluate the return in terms of value at the time of the deal. How development takes place and what happens in the future remains largely difficult to project. However, Minnesota netting the Toronto Blue Jays' top prospect in Austin Martin, and then one of the most coveted arms from the system in Simeon Woods Richardson, was nothing short of a miracle. Both of those players were thought to be a bit rich on their own, but Derek Falvey and Thad Levine were able to generate a package deal including both.

    Last week I wrote a piece wondering what has happened to Berrios. He’s been largely awful for the Blue Jays this season, and that’s disappointing to see as a Twins fan that so badly wanted him to be the ace here. Unlike the prospect capital in a deal though, a Major League veteran is largely an established commodity. Berrios taking a step backward makes it look that much more right that Minnesota decided they wouldn’t be the ones to pay him.

    For this evaluation though, the Twins getting the most out of this deal rests solely on the production of the pieces they got back. Unfortunately, Martin hasn’t produced as expected. He was seen as a talent that could’ve gone 1-1 in the 2020 draft before falling to fifth. He was a speedy shortstop that was also above average in centerfield, while possessing a hit tool that saw his average and on-base numbers reach gaudy thresholds.

    Thus far in professional baseball Martin has proven he’s not a shortstop, the power has been slow to develop, and his hit tool has provided just a .259 career average. On the flip side, Martin still has elite on-base skills owning a career .395 OBP, and he’s looked the part of a true outfielder with the glove, speed, and range.

    If there’s a saving grace for Martin’s projection in the Twins system it’s that he just recently turned 23 and has only 152 games of professional baseball under his belt. Martin still has an immense amount of time to develop, and it would be foolish for any organization to suggest he’s a finished project. Maybe the Twins see him as expendable in a larger trade again this summer, but an opposing organization will be hard-pressed to pry him away while suggesting his value has tanked.

    Where Minnesota finds themselves on the come up from the Berrios package is in Woods-Richardson. He was hardly a throw in, but they clearly evaluated his production, or lack thereof last season correctly. Woods-Richardson missed all of 2020 as did every minor leaguer, and then spent 2021 being half-ready as he spent time competing with Team USA but never finding himself on the mound. His numbers at Double-A were not good, but he was also roughly four years younger than most of the competition.

    This season Woods Richardson is back with Wichita and the results have been promising. Despite being just 21 he owns a 3.40 ERA and 9.0 K/9 through 53 innings pitched. It’s the most innings he’s logged in a season since 2019, and he’s looked beyond dominant at times. Minnesota has some very intriguing pitching prospects, and Woods Richardson is up there with the best of them.

    It’s unfortunate that Jose Berrios has struggled, and it’s unfortunate Martin hasn’t raced to the big leagues. All things considered though, Minnesota appears to have parted with a guy they shouldn’t have paid, have a top prospect still with time to get it going, and nailed the additional piece about as well as they could have. This is a swap that could pay dividends for years to come.

     

     

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    7 hours ago, Cap'n Piranha said:

    The Yankees are 28-16 (103 win pace) when Kyle Higashioka appears in the game.  Should the Twins give up whatever it takes to get him?

    NIce one. I'll bet you fooled some people. He's a detriment to their pitching staff. 28-16 in games when he appears is far worse than the Yankees' record in games in which he doesn't appear (31-7, 132 win pace).

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    2 hours ago, dxpavelka said:

    Coulda, woulda, shoulda.  Didn't.

    You obviously don't understand.  This is not a woulda situation it's a recap of the options because there are multiple possible scenarios where Berrios could still be part of this team.  The recap illustrates that there is not a scenario where keeping Berrios would have made sense given his current level of performance.  Obviously, the timeframe involved is the next 6 1/2 years so we won't know definitely until his contract has elapsed.  

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    1 hour ago, Nine of twelve said:

    Disagree. You assess any and every trade by comparing the total outlay and the total return. And we don't know the total outlay or total return until the players involved retire, are released, or leave in free agency. Or are traded, in which case the outlay and return in those trades have to be factored in.

    So, you're saying that sports media should quit doing the assessment of how well teams do in trades until years later when it's all played out.  No doubt those hundreds/thousands of conversations are speculative just like thousands of preseason conversations about which team will win contend.  However, it's perfectly reasonable to value the return based on what is known at the time.  Was it a top 10 prospect or an unknown?  We can measure the relative return.  I think any reasonable person understands the judgment is based on conjecture.

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    2 hours ago, Major League Ready said:

    You obviously don't understand.  This is not a woulda situation it's a recap of the options because there are multiple possible scenarios where Berrios could still be part of this team.  The recap illustrates that there is not a scenario where keeping Berrios would have made sense given his current level of performance.  Obviously, the timeframe involved is the next 6 1/2 years so we won't know definitely until his contract has elapsed.  

    half a season does not a season make.  p.s.  Might want to take a look at his last two starts as well.

     

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    On 7/5/2022 at 8:14 AM, Trov said:

    Look at Corey Kluber, a guy that was never even a prospect really, it was not until he was 28 at the majors that he became a Cy young level pitcher.  28 to 32 he either won or got Cy Young votes, guess Cleveland should have sent him packing well before that because he was not going to be good. 

    Very true, he was a 4th round pick out of Stetson by San Diego and was traded to Cleveland in 2010 (he was in AA), Cleveland had him in the majors the next season (age 25 3 games), 12 games in 2012, and he kind of broke out in 2103 with a 11-5 record and 3.85 ERA, then was amazing for 5 years.

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    19 hours ago, dxpavelka said:

    What you seem to be saying is that Berrios' team wins more games because they are a better team.  Hard to be the better team when you best players are playing for the other guys. Bottom line is that as this point in time we have gotten NOTHING in return for Berrios.  Can't call that a win.  In the  future.  Maybe.  Maybe not.  That's probably why they'll continue to play the games.

    No, what he's saying is that Toronto has been winning the games Berrios starts DESPITE Berrios, not BECAUSE of him.  It's unfathomable to me that this is getting lost.  A team's record in games a pitcher starts is a potentially meaningful metric for that pitcher, but also a potentially meaningless metric for that pitcher.  Jose Berrios has been one of the very worst starting pitchers in baseball this year.  Out of 59 qualified starters, he is 58th in WAR, 57th in ERA, 59th in xERA, 57th in FIP, 52nd in xFIP, 47th in k/9, 48th in SIERA, 58th in WPA, and 53rd in swinging strike rate.  The fact the Jays have a good record in games Berrios starts is because the offense has showed up those games, not because Berrios has been good.

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    20 hours ago, Nine of twelve said:

    NIce one. I'll bet you fooled some people. He's a detriment to their pitching staff. 28-16 in games when he appears is far worse than the Yankees' record in games in which he doesn't appear (31-7, 132 win pace).

    Yeah, my bigger point was that quoting a team's record in games a player appears in is not a good indicator for how good that player is.  The Yankees are better when Higashioka plays than the Twins are.  If you can gauge a player's ability by their team's record in games they play, than clearly Higashioka is better than anyone currently on the Twins.

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    Couple of things. If we have to evaluate the prospects only at the time of the trade then you can only evaluate Berrios at the time of the trade. You don’t get to have both sides of the coin. 
     

    The trade isn’t even the point. Falvine didn’t want Martin and SWR instead of Berrios, they didn’t want to give Berrios $120 million. And that might turn out to be very shrewd. 

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