Things were crazy enough when the Red Sox, Dodgers, and Twins got together on a three-team trade involving Mookie Betts, David Price, Kenta Maeda, Alex Verdugo, and Brusdar Graterol, and then they kicked up a notch when a secondary trade involving Joc Pederson and the Angels was to follow.
Then things ratcheted up when Boston put the brakes on the trade after reviewing Graterol’s medicals, and things have been on hold now for days while the teams scrambled to try to salvage things.
Now, we’re in full on chaos mode:
The #mntwins are pulling out of the megadeal and will keep Brusdar Graterol, reports @LaVelleNeal https://t.co/RAQFWw0tWv pic.twitter.com/d8Mk3F1lX9
— Chris Miller (@Cmillstrib) February 8, 2020
Suddenly, if the trade is going to survive – and how could it not? How do you possibly have these guys stick with their teams after this? – the Dodgers and Red Sox will have to work out another version of the trade, or find another team to slide into the mix (but would it have to be a team that wants Kenta Maeda? And values him exactly as much as whatever prospect the Red Sox want? good luck).
Man. This is insane, and Spring Training starts next week. Are Betts and Price supposed to report to Florida like nothing is going on? Would the Red Sox and Dodgers really blow this up over not being able to agree on what to add to the deal besides Verdugo? Seriously, how do you unring this bell?
It’s chaos. And it’s possible there are factions within the Red Sox organization orchestrating it:
Feels like Boston’s Winter of Waffling could be a factor in the delayed mega deal. Getting under the threshold seemed like a mandate at times, only a goal at other times. Feels like there’s been inner conflict all along, and trade blowback caused conflict to resurface. #Mookie
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 8, 2020
Stay tuned.
As an aside, I wonder if the Twins will now try to acquire a starting pitcher elsewhere in trade?
UPDATE: It wouldn’t be proper CHAOS without a conflicting report:
Latest word: While the #MNTwins haven’t backed out quite yet, they are setting a deadline of today to resolve their part of the deal with Boston.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 8, 2020
To be sure, several reports confirmed the original out of Minnesota, so Heyman is a bit on an island for now.
UPDATE 2: Heyman is no longer alone:
Twins have not backed out of initial 3-team trade that would send Mookie Betts to the Dodgers, I'm told. They are willing to renegotiate and attempt to work through it, though whether it ultimately gets figured out is uncertain. All sides want a resolution by reporting date.
— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) February 8, 2020
UPDATE 3: And now even the original report is walking back:
Hey the headine was a little strong. Twins don’t expect a deal to be made. That is clear. But There’s no “pull out” yet.
— LaVelle E. Neal III (@LaVelleNeal) February 8, 2020