DUNEDIN, Fla.
What made the move all the more jarring is that it came after World Series hero Eddie Rosario was non-tendered ahead of the 2021 season and a sell-off last summer followed, highlighted by trades that sent Berrios to the Blue Jays and Nelson Cruz to the Tampa Bay Rays.
We moved to Toronto, we’re enjoying it, we like the city and we had the opportunity to extend my career here.
The Blue Jays aren’t complaining either, and Berrios is now one of the franchise’s cornerstones through the current window of opportunity.
The left-handed hitting outfielder makes obvious sense for a right-handed dominant lineup and the Blue Jays are among the many teams that have been in touch about him, according to an industry source.
Jose Ramirez has long been atop their wish list but the Blue Jays’ acquisition of third baseman Matt Champan complicates things because the Cleveland Guardians star would have to move to second base.
“I thought to myself, well, if he did it, then I’ve got to do something similar,” Martinez quipped through interpreter Hector Lebron.
“When I see Orelvis at the plate I think about Hanley Ramirez back in the day, young Hanley.
The Blue Jays dealt 2021 first-rounder Gunnar Hoglund as part of a four-player package for Chapman and dealt 2020 first-rounder Austin Martin and Simeon Woods Richardson for Berrios, so they need to carefully manage their system.
At the same time, they’re going to be adding, if not in the spring then ahead of the trade deadline this summer, so subtractions are coming.
“When I came last year and I saw who we have, I said, we are already good enough to compete and we can do a lot of good things for the city,” said Berrios, a major step forward in that process.