Trade Jose Berrios? Twins biggest question is a window into 2022 and beyond.

Almost everything the Twins could have wanted out of Jose Berrios in 2021 has become reality.

The problem is that almost nothing else the Twins could have wanted in 2021 has become reality.

That dichotomy shows up in season statistics, with the Twins holding a 10-5 record in games started by Berrios and a 21-37 mark in all other games. And it showed up specifically on Thursday, when Berrios pitched another gem (6.1 innings, 1 run) but left with the game tied 1-1 in an eventual 4-1 loss.

That game could provide a cautionary tale about what can be lost even while making prudent business decisions. Eddie Rosario, the durable and clutch former Twins outfielder who was deemed unnecessary and too expensive by the Twins, hit the tie-breaking two-run single in the eighth inning to spark Cleveland's victory.

The Twins face an even higher-stakes decision on Berrios and other top players in the next month, which I talked about on Friday's Daily Delivery podcast. Thursday's game both increased Berrios' value and the likelihood he will be traded, as he now has a 7-2 record with a 3.41 ERA while the Twins are 13 games back of Chicago in the AL Central race and 12.5 games back of even the second wild card.

If you don't see the podcast player, tap here to listen.

Unless the Twins show signs of a massive turnaround in the next few weeks (or perhaps even sooner), they figure to be active sellers as the trade deadline nears.

And of all their current players, Berrios is their biggest decision to make — and the one that will send their clearest signal not just about the rest of 2021 but 2022 as well.

Berrios, who will become a free agent after the 2022 season, is due for a hefty contract extension. But that hasn't happened so far with the Twins. So the question becomes do they trade him within the next month, when he has more value for an acquiring team, or hold onto him in hopes of getting a new deal done or at least having him in the rotation in 2022?

If they decide to take trade offers and end up dealing Berrios, it would be hard to imagine their rotation (and therefore the team) being competitive enough in 2022. Kenta Maeda would be the only proven starter under contract, while most of the Twins' young arms are either injured, not ready or both.

Keep Berrios and filling in the back half of the rotation is far more doable (even if the Twins didn't do it with much success in 2021).

Berrios could command a significant haul in a deal, but it likely would be the kind of trade that would set the reset button for 2023.

A team that had World Series aspirations just a few months ago will have to balance the disappointment of the present with the potential of the future.