If you spent any time at Target Field between 2016 and 2021, you knew the electricity of a "La Makina" day. Jose Berrios didn't just pitch; he operated. The Puerto Rican right-hander was the closest thing the Minnesota Twins had to a homegrown ace in a generation. He was smooth. He was durable. Most importantly, he was ours.
Then, in a flurry of trade deadline madness in July 2021, he wasn't.
The jose berrios minnesota twins era ended not with a whimper, but with a massive haul of prospects and a fanbase left wondering if the team had just given up on its best arm too soon. To understand why he matters—and why people still debate the trade today—you have to look at the guy behind the nickname.
The Rise of "La Makina" in the Twin Cities
The Twins grabbed Berrios with the 32nd overall pick in 2012. He wasn't some towering giant on the mound. Standing about 6-foot flat, he relied on an insanely quick arm and a workout ethic that would make a Navy SEAL sweat. That’s where the name "La Makina" (The Machine) came from.
His debut in 2016 was, honestly, a disaster. An 8.02 ERA over 14 starts? That’s the kind of stuff that sends most prospects back to Triple-A Rochester for good. But Berrios was different. He came back in 2017 and looked like a completely different human being, racking up 14 wins and a 3.89 ERA.
By 2018, he was an All-Star. He repeated that feat in 2019. He was the guy the Twins gave the ball to on Opening Day because they knew, at the very least, he was going to give them six innings and a chance to win.
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Why the Twins Couldn't Keep Him
Basically, it came down to the "B" word: business.
In early 2019, the Twins reportedly tried to lock Berrios down with an extension. They’d already signed Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco to team-friendly deals. Berrios, however, bet on himself. He turned down the offers, opting for the year-to-year arbitration process.
You've got to respect the hustle, but it put the Twins in a corner. As 2021 approached, the team was scuffling in the basement of the AL Central with a 43-61 record. Berrios was entering his final year and a half of team control. If they didn't trade him then, they risked losing him for nothing but a compensatory draft pick in free agency.
The Trade That Shook the Fanbase
On July 30, 2021, the notification popped up on every Twins fan's phone. Jose Berrios was heading to the Toronto Blue Jays.
In return, Minnesota got:
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- Austin Martin: A top-tier shortstop/outfielder prospect from Vanderbilt.
- Simeon Woods Richardson: A hard-throwing righty who was already at Double-A.
At the time, this was considered a "massive haul" by experts like Jeff Passan. The Twins were trading away a known quantity for two "can't-miss" pieces of the future.
Did the Twins actually win the trade?
It’s complicated.
Looking at it now in 2026, the trade is a case study in why prospects are called "prospects." Austin Martin has struggled with injuries—specifically those nagging hamstrings—and hasn't quite lived up to that "No. 5 overall pick" pedigree. Simeon Woods Richardson has shown flashes of being a solid rotation piece, but he hasn't replaced the 200-inning reliability of Berrios.
Meanwhile, Berrios went to Toronto and immediately signed a seven-year, $131 million extension. He’s continued to be a workhorse. In 2024, he won 16 games and grabbed a Gold Glove. He’s the guy who never misses a start. For a Twins team that has struggled with rotation depth and pitcher health for years, seeing "La Makina" thrive elsewhere is a bit like seeing an ex-girlfriend win the lottery.
What Most People Get Wrong About His Tenure
People love to say Berrios was never a "true ace."
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Kinda true, kinda not. If your definition of an ace is prime Pedro Martinez or Jacob deGrom, then no, Jose wasn't that. He didn't have the 100-mph heater.
But if an ace is a guy who takes the ball 32 times a year, every year, and gives you 190+ innings of sub-4.00 ERA ball? That’s exactly what he was for the jose berrios minnesota twins years. In an era where pitchers' elbows are exploding every other week, that kind of durability is arguably more valuable than a high-strikeout guy who spends half the season on the IL.
The Statistical Legacy
| Category | Stats with Twins (2016-2021) |
|---|---|
| Starts | 135 |
| Strikeouts | 779 |
| All-Star Selections | 2 |
| Opening Day Starts | 2 (2019, 2020) |
He wasn't just a stats guy, though. He was the energy in the clubhouse. He was the guy who stayed late to help younger pitchers from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico adjust to life in the big leagues.
The Actionable Takeaway for Fans and Collectors
If you're still holding onto that Berrios Twins jersey or his rookie cards, don't toss them. His legacy in Minnesota is secure because he represented the "Bomba Squad" era—a time when Twins baseball was actually fun again.
What you should do next:
- Watch the matchups: Berrios has become the winningest pitcher in Target Field history, even as a visitor. Keep an eye on his starts when Toronto comes to town; he usually brings his "A" game against his old club.
- Evaluate the "Propect" Model: Use the Berrios trade as a lens to look at current Twins moves. If the team is trading a veteran for high-upside kids, remember that even "can't-miss" guys like Austin Martin can stall.
- Appreciate Durability: In your fantasy leagues or when cheering for the current Twins rotation, stop looking for just "stuff." Look for the "Machine"—the guys who actually stay on the mound.
The jose berrios minnesota twins story is a reminder that sometimes, the best move for a franchise's future is the hardest one for the fans to stomach. He wasn't just a pitcher; he was the heartbeat of the rotation, and the void he left is still being felt in the Twin Cities today.