Minnesota Twins Backing Out of Mookie Betts, David Price

Posted on February 8, 2020, by Bryan Zarpentine

The Minnesota Twins have reportedly put the kibosh on a three-team blockbuster trade involving Mookie Betts, David Price, Kenta Maeda, and others. After being first reported on Tuesday night, the trade between the Twins, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles has yet to become official. Sources indicate that Minnesota is backing out after the Red Sox asked for more in return, potentially erasing the entire trade.

The trouble started when the Red Sox were reviewing the medical records of Minnesota pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol, who they were set to receive in the proposed trade. After seeing his medical records, Boston views Graterol as a reliever long-term rather than a starter. When the Red Sox asked the Twins for an additional prospect, the two sides failed to see eye-to-eye on a compromise. As of Saturday afternoon, the Twins are tired of talking and will back out of the deal if a compromise isn’t reached soon.

If the Twins pull out, it would put a stop to a trade that was going to send Betts and Price to the Dodgers, Maeda to the Twins, and Graterol and outfielder Alex Verdugo to Boston. The Dodgers also had a second trade lined up to send Joc Pederson and Ross Stripling to the Los Angeles Angels. That deal was contingent on the Dodgers trading for Betts, so now it is on hold until the Red Sox and Twins can sort things out.

While the Twins were set to be one of the winners of the trade by adding Maeda to their rotation, they appear intent on stopping this trade form going through. In their defense, they’ve reportedly had discussions with the Red Sox about adding a player to the deal. However, they’ve not been in agreement with Boston about which of their prospects could be added to the trade to make all three teams happy.

With the news of the hold-up, the trade has caused quite a stir around the league. Tony Clark, executive director of the MLB Players Union, urged all parties on Friday to complete the deal as soon as possible. Agent Scott Boras, who represents Graterol, said there is nothing in his client’s medical report that warrants the Red Sox changing their mind. There has also been some backlash from the Red Sox fanbase about trading away Betts and Price.

Barring a sudden change by the Twins or Red Sox, the three-team trade involving Betts, Maeda, and others appears to be off. As a result, the trade sending Pederson and Stripling from the Dodgers to the Angels is also off. However, that may not be the end of the story. The Dodgers and Red Sox could continue talks to send Betts and Price to L.A., possibly bringing another team into the mix to replace the Twins as the third party. It’s also worth noting that the Twins are clearly interested in improving their rotation and could try working out a separate trade to steal get Maeda.

Obviously, what happens from here on out is anybody’s guess. However, with players required to report to spring training in a matter of days, there is pressure on every team involved to get things resolved quickly. There are players involved in two separate trades who are in a state of limbo until the Twins and Red Sox make a decision one way or another. For now, both players and fans alike can only wait for something to happen, or perhaps not happen.