FORT MYERS, Fla. _ Chances are increasing that the Twins will land Kenta Maeda after all.
And that star outfielder Mookie Betts will head to the Dodgers after all.
And that Twins prospect Brusdar Graterol will be part of the deal after all.
But how the Twins, Red Sox and Dodgers arrive at that point might be a little different than initially thought.
After negotiations with the Red Sox about their role in the three-team deal broke down over the weekend, productive talks with the Dodgers have created an opportunity for all three clubs to get what they want, according to a source with knowledge of the talks.
It has led to a reworking of the framework of the deal. The Twins' role would be to send Graterol and his 102-mile-per-hour fastball to the Dodgers in exchange for Maeda, a righthanded starter. Los Angeles might include cash considerations as part of the exchange. The Twins' tango with the Red Sox is over for now, with Boston spending the weekend talking to the Dodgers about sending them Betts, the 2018 AL MVP, and 2012 Cy Young Award winner David Price.
The Twins had previously offered the Red Sox a second prospect, in addition to Graterol, after Boston expressed concerns over Graterol's medical records. The Red Sox hoped Graterol would be a starting pitcher prospect, but the records suggested relieving might be his best role for the long term. Boston asked for another top-10 prospect to be added to the deal, to which the Twins balked at and offered a prospect outside their top 10.
Under the revised plan, the Twins won't have to part with a second prospect _ or deal with the Red Sox _ at all.
Since the Twins aren't sending Boston anything, the trade looks more like a series of deals between three clubs instead of a three-team deal. But this saga has been going on since Tuesday as the clubs try to finalize a deal that has had owners, agents and players' union executives ranting for closure. Boston, meanwhile, has dealt with fan backlash about potentially dealing the premier right fielder, so maximizing their return is paramount.
Keep in mind that this is taking place while the Dodgers are trying to wrap up a deal with the Angels involving outfielder Joc Pederson. Both the Pederson trade and the Graterol trade are dependent upon the Dodgers wrapping up the Betts trade. If the Dodgers need an additional player from the Twins and/or Angels to flip to Boston, it can turn into a three-team deal again or _ gasp _ maybe even a four-team swap.
Anything could happen in order to end this ordeal. The Twins believe adding Maeda deepens their rotation and strengthens their chances of repeating as AL Central champions. Maeda, who turns 32 on April 11, was 10-8 with a 4.04 ERA last season and is 47-35 with a 3.87 ERA in his career with the Dodgers He would join All-Star righthanders Jose Berrios and Jake Odorizzi at the front of the Twins rotation.
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