Dodgers News: Betts, Price Trade Reportedly Held Up Over Medicals

[Editor’s note: This story has been updated]

It appears the three-trade between Boston, Los Angeles, and Minnesota hit a bit of snag on Wednesday. While the deal is still expected to be completed, rumors of an adjusted package have been reported. The below tweet is the trade in question.

Kenta Maeda will go to Twins in the three-way trade, while Brusdar Graterol will go to Red Sox in the three-way deal, per source. @Ken_Rosenthal 1st

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 5, 2020

Wednesday evening, Ken Rosenthal and The Athletic reported that the Red Sox hit the pause button on completing the trade after reviewing the medical records of Twins prospect Brusdar Graterol. Rosenthal had this to say:

The Red Sox projected [Graterol] more as a reliever than as a starter, according to sources involved with the discussions. 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.

Graterol would have been moving from the Twins to Boston as Kenta Maeda would head from Los Angeles to Minnesota.

As this trade is held up, so too is the Joc Pederson/Ross Stripling trade to Anaheim. On Tuesday Rosenthal reported that a Pederson deal is contingent on the Dodgers acquiring Mookie Betts. Officially.

Joc Pederson would go from #Dodgers to #Angels if blockbuster is completed, source tells The Athletic.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 5, 2020

Once whispers of the snag started to emerge on Wednesday, questions about the health of Alex Verdugo and/or David Price soon followed. Price, of course, missed most of the second half of 2019 after undergoing a surgical procedure to remove a cyst in his left wrist (throwing side). And Verdugo’s season ended in August after lingering back and lower body issues shut him down.

However, reports are that both are healthy and have been cleared medically for this transaction.

So as it stands, this appears to be more of a hiccup over a full-blown stop to the deal. A new iteration of the trade may not change too many moving parts, but more so where they’re headed.

Speculation has seen Maeda heading straight to Boston along with one more mid-level prospect from LA. Rosenthal also mentioned above that Minnesota may still be involved and send a different prospect to Boston.

When you have this many bodies and cash moving around, there is an added level of caution for all sides.

UPDATE

An added twist to the hold up could be Joc Pederson’s arbitration hearing, at least in terms of the Dodgers/Angels deal. More on this here.

Dodgers Nation will continue to monitor the situation.

NEXT: Walker Buehler is Beyond Hyped to be Teammates With Price, Betts