The playoff-chasing Toronto Blue Jays won the pursuit for pitcher José Berríos and acquired the Minnesota right-hander, a person familiar with the trade told The Associated Press on Friday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because there was no official announcement. The deal was made shortly before the 4 p.m. EDT trade deadline.
Berríos was 7-5 with a 3.48 ERA in 20 starts for the Twins this season, and attracted interest from several contenders.
Toronto began the day at 51-48, in the fifth spot chasing two AL wild-card slots.
The 27-year-old Berríos was Minnesota’s unquestioned ace, a two-time All-Star who has been as durable as any pitcher in the game and remains under team control through the 2022 season.
Dealing Berríos will set a struggling rotation back even further, but the Twins had all the leverage with so many teams on the market seeking high-end starting pitching. Getting prospects back from deals they’re making this month ought to give them a jump start on resetting for 2022 and beyond after this disappointing season on the heels of two straight AL Central titles.
AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell contributed to this report.
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