3 Prospects Red Sox Can Add to Mookie Betts Trade to Finish Deal
By Jerry Trotta
The blockbuster trade between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers that's supposed to send Mookie Betts and David Price to the west coast appears to have hit a hurdle.
After reviewing the medical records of Minnesota Twins right-hander Brusdar Graterol, Boston's brass views the young hurler more as a reliever than a starter following his previous Tommy John surgery and shoulder impingement from last season. After returning from those injuries, the 21-year-old Venezuelan served exclusively as a reliever.
From last night: Why the three-team Mookie Betts blockbuster is not yet complete: https://t.co/ZtX8TdUGJ7
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 6, 2020
In sum, the Red Sox might seek out a collection of other prospects from the Dodgers and Twins in order to get things officially official, which all parties are hopeful they can do by the end of the day on Thursday.
The teams involved in the three-way Mookie Betts trade are hopeful that it will be completed today, per source, though it’s not a certainty. Medicals are holding up the deal, as @Ken_Rosenthal reported, as the source said the teams are “working through some things.”
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 6, 2020
Let's highlight a few so that the clubs involved can make this deal official.
3. DJ Peters (Dodgers)
Peters, the Dodgers' No. 12 ranked prospect per MLB.com, is already 24 years old, so he should be ready to contribute at the big league level before long. The young outfielder enjoyed an impressive campaign in the minors 2019, clobbering 23 home runs and smacking 20 doubles while registering 81 RBI. Peters' route to the first-team becomes THAT much more grueling if LA does, in fact, acquire Betts. It might just behoove the Dodgers to ship him out to Boston.
2. Dennis Sanatana (Dodgers)
Santana comes in as the Los Angeles' No.10 prospect. He's undoubtedly a 40-man roster guy, but barring a rash of injuries, the 23-year-old hurler will likely spend most, if not all, of 2020 in the minors. Given the Dodgers' sheer depth of talented young arms, they could probably afford to offload Santana to a Red Sox team that's aiming to rebuild their pitching staff.
1. Jordan Balazovic (Twins)
As previously stated, the Red Sox are striving to bolster their farm system in terms of pitching. Acquiring Jordan Balazovic, the Twins' No.4 ranked prospect, will go a long way at helping the cause. The 21-year-old right-hander finished 8-5 with a 2.69 ERA, 129 strikeouts, and a 0.98 WHIP in 93.2 minor league innings last season. Just leave Graterol and take this kid instead.