Red Sox way too early trade deadline predictions to upgrade rotation

Red Sox should check on availability of José Berrios

José Berrios is a household name across mainstream MLB discussions. Berrios, like Rodon, has been deemed a future darling for numerous seasons, yet has never fully met expectations. His five seasons in the big leagues have seen a low 3.68 ERA, but his ability to remain consistent from season start to end has simply not been there.

Do not be fooled, though. When Berrios is in his groove, he matches up with some of the best in the league. He has a nasty slider when it is on, as well as the pedigree of a top prospect to put some juice behind his name.

I look at Berrios this way: his biggest flaw is his durability and consistency, but his biggest bonus is his age. Berrios is 26 years old, he is a young pitcher who was thrown in the spotlight too early with expectations way too high for a prospect who produced an ERA over 8.00 in his debut season.

There are very clear problems surrounding both Berrios’ availability and the competition to obtain him this season. Primarily, we have yet to get a feel on how much Minnesota likes Berrios. He is homegrown and on a cheap (yet expiring) contract. The only way Minnesota will part ways is if A) They fall out of contention before the deadline or B) They are unwilling to pay him what should be expected to be a pretty big deal this offseason.

Other problems present themselves should one of these previously mentioned conditions be met. These problems lay in the fact that should he become available, he will be the Belle of the Ball. Many teams will go after him, and his asking price will not be as cheap as say Rodon’s. If a good scenario can pan out, though, keep an eye on Bloom with Berrios.