The Twins Eternal Connection to the Mookie Betts Trade

In February 2020, the Red Sox were actively shopping Mookie Betts and had agreed to the parameters of a three-team deal. The deal initially would have sent Mookie Betts and David Price to LA,  Alex Verdugo and Brusdar Graterol to Boston, and Kenta Maeda to Minnesota. Boston developed reservations about Graterol after getting a better look at his medicals. They requested that the Twins include another top prospect to balance the trade. Minnesota scoffed at this request and pulled out of the trade.

Graterol's injury history was well known at the time, so it's unclear what Boston saw in his medicals that prompted the position change. He had Tommy John surgery as a prospect and suffered a shoulder impingement during his first season in the big leagues. The Red Sox weren't sending any players to the Twins in the original trade, so there needed to be more reason for Minnesota to include another prospect in the proposed deal. 

Even after the first trade collapsed, the Dodgers and Red Sox were able to complete a trade for Betts. Los Angeles acquired Betts and Price in exchange for outfielder Alex Verdugo, catcher Connor Wong, and infielder Jeter Downs. Verdugo has posted a 108 OPS+ in his four seasons since the trade, while Wong settled into a backup catcher role. Downs was considered a good prospect at the time of the deal, but he struggled in the minors, and the Nationals claimed him off waivers last December. At the same time, Betts is in the conversation for the NL MVP award and is arguably one of baseball's best overall players. 

The Twins were able to work out a separate trade with the Dodgers that included the same major piece from both clubs. Los Angeles received Graterol, Luke Raley, and the 67th selection in the 2020 MLB Draft. (Note - MLB draft picks cannot be traded except for the Competitive Balance picks.) Minnesota acquired Kenta Maeda, Jair Camargo, and cash considerations. It's been over three years since the two teams agreed to the trade, so both organizations have a clearer picture of the results.

Maeda has made 47 starts in his Twins tenure while posting a 108 ERA+ with 10.2 K/9 and 4.53 K/W. He was the 2020 AL Cy Young runner-up after posting an MLB-leading 0.75 WHIP with a 2.70 ERA. Minnesota's desperately needed help in the starting rotation, and Maeda has exceeded expectations when he has been healthy. He's heading toward free agency for the first time in his career, and how he finishes the 2023 season might change his outlook. There is a possibility the Twins could make him a qualifying offer to keep him under team control for one more season at a high average value (roughly $20 million). Overall, his time in a Twins uniform has been respectable with injuries taking away some of his value.

Graterol shifted to the bullpen with the Dodgers and is having arguably his best season with the club. In 55 appearances, he has posted a 1.50 ERA with a 1.07 WHIP and a career-high 1.8 rWAR. For a reliever, his strikeout totals have remained low, with a 7.0 K/9 for his career despite a triple-digit fastball. Los Angeles has trusted him in more late-inning situations over the last two seasons, with 27 games finished and ten saves. He's been a decent middle-of-the-bullpen option on some strong Dodgers teams. 

The other prospects involved in the trade have found differing success levels. Jair Camargo has hit .251/.316/.502 (.818) with 15 doubles and 18 home runs for the St. Paul Saints while continuing to play catcher. Raley has bounced to multiple organizations before finding a home in Tampa Bay this year. In 100 games, he has posted an .855 OPS with 20 doubles, three triples, and 18 home runs. Los Angeles used the draft pick they acquired from Minnesota to draft Clayton Beeter, a right-handed starting pitcher. Last year, he was traded from the Dodgers to the Yankees for Joey Gallo, and he earned a spot in the 2023 Futures Game. It will be interesting for fans to follow his career because of the multiple Twins connections. 

Minnesota's direct connection to the Betts trade didn't come to fruition, but it's a move fans can look back on through a specific lens. Would Graterol have performed better for the Red Sox? Who would the Twins have selected with the draft pick the club traded away? There are many unanswered questions even multiple years after this trade. 

How would you grade this trade in retrospect? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.