Hefner Strongly Recommends José Berríos to Mets’ Front Office

With the Mets looking for help in their starting rotation, pitching coach Jeremy Hefner has recommended Minnesota Twins’ pitcher Jose Berrios to the Mets’ front office according to John Harper of SNY. Hefner worked with Berrios while he was the Twins’ pitching coach in 2019.

With the Twins sitting 11.5 games out of a playoff spot, the 27-year-old Puerto Rican right-hander has become one of the most valued players on the trade market. Berrios is a two-time All-Star who is having arguably the best season of his young career in 2021. In 18 starts, Berrios has pitched to a 3.48 ERA with 114 strikeouts in 108 2/3 innings.

Jacob deGrom, Taijuan Walker and Marcus Stroman are all having terrific seasons for the Mets, but after them, the pitching depth has taken a big hit. Even with Carlos Carrasco scheduled to begin a rehab assignment on Thursday with High-A Brooklyn, the Mets could certainly use additional depth.

A trade for Berrios would also help the Mets beyond 2021. Berrios still has one more arbitration-eligible season before he would reach free agency. With Stroman and Noah Syndergaard both set to become free agents at the end of this season, Berrios could help soften the blow if the Mets are unable to re-sign either of their two current pitchers.

The price for a starter with Berrios’ upside will undoubtedly be high, but the Mets can potentially offset some of the cost by taking on the contract of third baseman Josh Donaldson. It is no secret that the Mets have been shopping for a third baseman, and they have already been linked to Donaldson in the past.

Donaldson is making $21 million this season and the next two seasons. He then has a $16 million team option with a $8 million buyout for the 2024 season.

The 35-year-old former American League MVP is not the same player he was during his days in Toronto, and injuries have been a concern for him over the last few years, but he is still an impact player on both sides of the ball when he is healthy. The Mets have been heavily scouting the Twins, so the Mets attempting to package the two players together could be a possibility.

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