FORT MYERS, FLA. – The Brusdar Graterol hostage crisis continued Friday, with the young pitcher in town for the third consecutive morning without knowing whether he would be joining the Red Sox or staying with the Twins.
A three-team trade that involved the Red Sox, Twins and Dodgers — who are set to land stars Mookie Betts and David Price from Boston — has not been consummated after it was theoretically finalized Tuesday night.
The megadeal, which would result in the Twins getting righthander Kenta Maeda from the Dodgers, is on hold because of Boston's concern over Graterol's medical records. The 21-year-old Venezuelan missed time last year because of a shoulder impingement and had elbow surgery as a teenager.
The Red Sox might be interested in the Twins adding another prospect, and the Twins are likely balking at that idea.
The Boston Globe reported the Red Sox were aware of Graterol's shoulder and arm issues but that after the trade was agreed upon, they would have had access to the Twins' complete files. Those files include magnetic resonance imaging exams and other images, trainer notes and virtually every detail about a player's medical history since his entry into professional baseball.
Those files, the Globe reported, are typically reviewed by a trainer, who coordinates the sharing of information with other members of a team's medical staff. Sometimes that means consulting with a team's head of internal medicine, but more often a team orthopedist will examine specific concerns.
Graterol's agent, Scott Boras, told MLB Network's Jon Heyman, "They're relying on a cursory medical record review yet noted orthopedic doctors who saw [Graterol] say there's no issue going forward."
Betts, the 2018 AL MVP who is due $27 million and will be a free agent after the season, and Price, the 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner, were headed to Los Angeles in the trade, with the Red Sox reportedly agreeing to pay half of the remaining $96 million due Price over the next three years. The Dodgers would send Maeda to Minnesota and outfielder Alex Verdugo to Boston.
