The three-team trade that will send the Twins’ top pitching prospect to Boston while Minnesota would acquire Los Angeles Dodgers veteran starter Kenta Maeda is on hold for the moment, according to veteran baseball insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
AUDIO: Why Twins fans should celebrate trading Graterol, not whine about it
“The Red Sox, after viewing the medical records of Twins right-hander Brusdar Graterol, projected him more as a reliever than as a starter, according to sources involved with the discussions,” Rosenthal wrote. “As a result of that valuation, the Sox might ask for an additional player and/or money to bridge the gap, though it is unclear whether the player would come from the Twins or Dodgers, sources said.
“The review of players’ medical records is one of the last steps in completing a trade, and four teams reached two separate deals involving a reported 10 players on Tuesday night. None of the players had been formally notified as of midnight Wednesday, because the deal was not yet official.”
So, what do we make of this?
SKOR North Twins reporter Derek Wetmore wrote this as part of a column:
It’s not clear yet if that would mean more cash trading hands, a different iteration of prospect swaps, or what. But it feels like an awful lot of toothpaste to put back in the tube if the sides decided to call off the deal.
Rosenthal reported that the Red Sox see Graterol as a reliever long-term, and that they came to that conclusion after reviewing his medical records. That’s why, he reported, Boston wants more to help level the deal.
The fact it appears Graterol does not have the experience, nor perhaps the health, to be a starter appears to be a major factor in the Twins’ deciding to roll the dice on a promising, 100 mph fastball-throwing pitcher.
While some Twins fans are disenchanted with only receiving what will amount to a No. 2 or No. 3 starter for the top pitching prospect in a fertile farm system, Minnesota clearly needed more quality, proven starting pitching than bullpen help to be a stronger World Series contender than the 2019 squad that was given a swift boot by the Yankees in the ALDS.
Whether the Red Sox still sign off on this 10-player deal to ensure it will still happen remains to be seen.
AUDIO: Why Twins fans should celebrate trading Graterol, not whine about it
