The Boston Red Sox have yet to finalize the trade that was supposed to send Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and they may have to find a new third team to bring into the mix in order to complete the deal.
The Red Sox were supposed to get 21-year-old pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol from the Minnesota Twins as part of the Betts deal, but Ken Rosenthal reported on Wednesday that Boston was unhappy with what they found in Graterol’s medical records. Now, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports that the Red Sox are trying to get an additional prospect from the Twins, but Minnesota is not having it.
Red Sox are still seeking a top-10 #MNTwins prospect in addition to Graterol. Thus far, Twins are saying no. #Mookie
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 7, 2020
The complications have led to talk that the Betts deal may be nixed, but the Red Sox and Dodgers both appear committed to making sure it happens. Heyman adds that the two teams have been exploring ways to complete the deal without the Twins if need be.
There’s been a lot of back and forth between Red Sox and Twins to try to wrap up the Mookie mega deal. And just in case, the Red Sox and Dodgers are also looking at ways to do deal without the Twins, either directly or by using a different 3rd team.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 7, 2020
Obviously, the situation is less than ideal. It’s unclear why the Red Sox suddenly became concerned about Graterol’s medical records, as they knew he had Tommy John surgery in 2016. Skeptics have argued that Boston is trying to save face after fans and analysts bashed them for getting so little in return for Betts and David Price, who is also supposed to be heading to the Dodgers. We know at least one Red Sox player who would probably be thrilled if the deal fell through.
