Graterol Deserved Better: How the Former Twins Pitcher Was Hurt Most in Trade Debacle

[Matthew Taylor]

The Minnesota Twins trade that was, then wasn’t, then was again, was a trainwreck from the start. The trade process left all of the involved players in limbo as spring training neared. No player, though, was hurt more than Brusdar Graterol.Late in the evening on Tuesday, the Minnesota Twins agreed to terms on a deal to part with their flamethrowing pitcher, Brusdar Graterol, and bring in starting pitcher, Kenta Maeda from the Los Angeles Dodgers. The deal was stalled, though, after reports came out that the Red Sox had concerns over Graterol’s health. After this report, the 21-year old pitcher was thrust to the forefront of baseball Twitter and has been unfairly criticized every step of the way.

 

Brusdar Graterol ended the 2019 season with much momentum. In his first stint in the big leagues, the Minnesota right-hander was extremely impactful. He put up an effective 3.42 FIP with a 9.31 K/9 in 10 appearances, throwing the ball harder than any Minnesota Twins pitcher in history. He performed so well that he was added to the playoff roster as a game-changing bullpen arm. Graterol showed tremendous promise, and left baseball fans eager to see what the future would hold for him.

 

The perception of Graterol changed greatly, though, after his medical information was talked about publicly. Graterol went from being considered a lights-out pitching prospect to a reliever with a bum elbow. The entire baseball world speculated about his medical information for five full days while the trade was halted, deliberating on whether Graterol could physically hold up on a baseball team or whether he was what fans like to categorize as, “damaged goods”.

 

All of the while, even as he was being criticized nationally, Graterol was working on his craft in Fort Myers, in a Minnesota Twins uniform.

 

 

In the past week, Graterol was a member of the Minnesota Twins, the Boston Red Sox, the Minnesota Twins again, and finally, this afternoon, Graterol got the resolution that he deserved and will be heading to LA to become a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. This whole trade process has been incredibly unfortunate for Graterol. No player, even less so a 21-year old, deserves to have his medical information debated across the internet, with no idea what city he’ll be living in, or what team he’ll be playing for when he wakes up the next morning. Graterol has been put through the wringer this past week, and I look forward to rooting for him as he plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020.

 

What are your thoughts on how the whole trade process has played out this past week? Will you be rooting for Graterol as he puts on a Dodgers uniform in 2020? Leave a comment below and start the conversation!

 

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[bobs]

He'll get to pitch in sunny L.A..  I'd guess he'll be just fine

[Otwins]

I hope Graterol does great for the Dodgers. The process had to be hard on him but he landed in a way better spot. LA needs bullpen help for a roster that is 3-1 to win the World Series. Boston was going to try and make him a starter and he would have always been the guy traded for Mookie. LA does not need him to be a starter. They also do not need him to be great to win the trade. He will probably be pitching in the World Series later this year and I hope some announcer mentions this is the guy Boston could have had for Mookie Betts.

[twinsfaninsaudi]

Guy throws f***ing lightning bolts out of his right arm. I’m sad he’s gone, he’ll be the Dodgers closer before too long and his play on the mound will do all the talking it needs to. Red Sox make me absolutely want to throw up.

[Danchat]

I thought teams might view Graterol as damaged goods after this fiasco, but clearly the Dodgers were fine with him. I suppose the Red Sox were really just blowing things out of porportion, then.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

i feel for Graterol and hope he pitches well for the Dodgers.

[Mike Sixel]

I doubt he'll remember this a year from now. Not even a little.

[USAFChief]

I imagine being traded is a little hard on any player, but dont think this was a great deal harder.

[goulik]

I hope he does well until he blows that World Series Game 7 save to his former team mates. (The guys he actually played with)

[Dantes929]

Free meals, per diem, and at least a $555,000 salary if he makes the team.   Oh yeah, that's all for playing  baseball, in California..      I was hoping to see him play for the Twins but now he's just a guy playing for another team that was mildly inconvenienced.     

[Mike Sixel]

Free meals, per diem, and at least a $555,000 salary if he makes the team. Oh yeah, that's all for playing baseball, in California.. I was hoping to see him play for the Twins but now he's just a guy playing for another team that was mildly inconvenienced.

All for playing baseball? It's not a game. These guys work very, very, hard. It's a job, like any other.

[Bandit34]

 

All for playing baseball? It's not a game. These guys work very, very, hard. It's a job, like any other.

The players worked just as hard years ago. Only difference being that the players years ago had to go to war just like anyone else. When was the last time you heard of an All-Star baseball player sign up to go to war? And when there wasn't a war, and it was winter, the players went to work their winter jobs.

[Bandit34]

I could go on and on...Such as the fact that the players had to travel by train. They had to worry about pitchers like Bob Gibson throwing a ball right at their ear, they had to worry about players like Ty Cobb sliding in with his spikes pointed upward at your chest or worse! If anything, now it is a game, at least compared to what they had to endure back then.

[Bandit34]

I guess my whole point was that if it was considered a game during the days of Ty Cobb, and it was, it certainly should be considered a game in today's age. 

[highlander]

I wish Brusdar the best but, next to the Yankees, EFF the Dodgers!

[Dantes929]

 

All for playing baseball? It's not a game. These guys work very, very, hard. It's a job, like any other.

Cmon Mike.  Seriously?   A job like any other?  Of course they work very hard but you don't hear anyone saying its been my life long dream to work baseball.   Nearly every kid I grew up with dreamed of playing baseball, not of having a baseball job.    And the money never even entered into it. Working hard at a game does not make it less of a game.  A job like any other doesn't have a million people envious for every one job opening.   I work very hard on my golf game but thats a little misleading because I really enjoy practicing.     I work hard at my job because if I don't I won't get paid.   They work hard at baseball because if they don't they don't get to play or get paid.    I am envious of Graterol because of what he gets paid and will get paid but mostly because he gets to play baseball for a living and if I could trade places with him I would and I would work really hard at it but would not consider it work.

[Crackedfungo]

Graterol is going to have the last laugh (likely this year). The twins get an aged 32 year old #3-#4 whose contract won’t look so good in 2021. The Yankees added Cole, and a full year of their version of Berrios. Twins add Maeda, Bailey (yuck), a broken down 40 YO, in Hill that we hope has a few bullets left. Even if JD hits an HR in every game, Twins likely get swept in 4 with this SP staff. Chacín is also not worth mentioning. If you are going to trade our #1 ranked SP from only 6 months ago, at least add Larnach and go for a real difference maker.

[TwinsFan268]

Of course I'll be rooting for Graterol on the Dodgers, he was a great pitcher!

The only thing is, what if he becomes a big star and Maeda isn't good with us? It's a prospect with a bright future for a proven player, which could be good, could not be good.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

The players worked just as hard years ago. Only difference being that the players years ago had to go to war just like anyone else. When was the last time you heard of an All-Star baseball player sign up to go to war? And when there wasn't a war, and it was winter, the players went to work their winter jobs.

 

It happened in the NFL not that long ago with Pat Tillman. He died too. 

[Major League Ready]

 

Graterol is going to have the last laugh (likely this year). The twins get an aged 32 year old #3-#4 whose contract won’t look so good in 2021. The Yankees added Cole, and a full year of their version of Berrios. Twins add Maeda, Bailey (yuck), a broken down 40 YO, in Hill that we hope has a few bullets left. Even if JD hits an HR in every game, Twins likely get swept in 4 with this SP staff. Chacín is also not worth mentioning. If you are going to trade our #1 ranked SP from only 6 months ago, at least add Larnach and go for a real difference maker.

 

Are you complaining that we are not the very best team in all of baseball? I sure had a lot more fun last year watching 100 wins vs 100 losses. Are you in any way surprised that a team with roughly $400M more in revenue than the Twins signed the most expensive free agent SP in the history of the game. I gotta tell ya ... I am going to focus on watching a very good team for the next several years. There is nothing anyone can do about the fact that there are a handful of team with a huge revenue advantage. 

[VivaBomboRivera!]

 

All for playing baseball? It's not a game. These guys work very, very, hard. It's a job, like any other.

Nice work if you can get it.

[Blake]

One of L.A.'s biggest weaknesses has been someone in the bullpen that is a "lights out" reliever.

 

L.A. just solved that issue with the addition of Graterol.

 

 

[Doctor Gast]

Graterol going to LA instead of Boston is a small consolation. At LA, I know Graterol will be evaluated properly & handled right. I feel Graterol will do great there & make us regret trading him. LA & Cleveland  have a great pitching staff. They know how to scout, draft, develop, handle, evaluate, trade for promising young talent & dump those which are inferior. I can only hope one day MN can come close. 

[Twodogs]

I was hoping that Minnesota would be forced to keep Grateral, I had imagined him as a bullpen piece this year that they could have used as an opener for about 5 times maybe in July when guys like Hill were getting close to coming off the disabled list, maybe he could throw 2 or 3 innings just to get used to going out and starting all while building up those innings with the big club. Then by next year he could have maybe started and went 5 innings about 10 times while the rest of the time he was in the bullpen and by 2022 he'd probably have been our #2 working on his way to becoming our #1. By then probably throwing 97 - 99 instead of 101, but probably much more consistent by then. However, now the Twins have a guy who will probably start 25 games this year and finish up in September and October and a very decent Bullpen option during the playoffs. And more than likely Maeda won't break down as he has shown the ability to pitch all season for awhile now. So Maeda will have immediate benefits, whereas I was hoping Grateral would be a future stud.

[davidc3915]

My hope is that Graterol becomes a force in the LA bullpen and leads them to the World Series, where he then gives up a championship winning homer to Josh Donaldson.  Also, I hope the winning pitcher in that game is Kenta Maeda.

 

Oh what the heck....I hope all of the players going to Boston are busts and that the Red Sox finish behind Baltimore!  (i'm not salty at all)

[Shaitan]

Like any relief pitcher, Graterol just needs to forget yesterday and look forward to the next game.

 

Could this story have been handled differently? Yes. But we'll all move on and as long as he proves himself on the mound, it will be forgotten soon.

 

Honestly, this seems typical for a story about BOS or LA sports coverage.

[MALKITT]

Watched Brusdar pitch for the Miracle... lights out prospect. Sorry to see him become a star elsewhere.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

In the past week, Graterol was a member of the Minnesota Twins, the Boston Red Sox, the Minnesota Twins again, and finally, this afternoon, Graterol got the resolution that he deserved and will be heading to LA to become a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. This whole trade process has been incredibly unfortunate for Graterol. No player, even less so a 21-year old, deserves to have his medical information debated across the internet, with no idea what city he’ll be living in, or what team he’ll be playing for when he wakes up the next morning. Graterol has been put through the wringer this past week, and I look forward to rooting for him as he plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020.

I'm pretty sure the Twins front office kept Graterol informed of his status and the stages of the trade process, so he didn't start house-hunting in Boston or anything. And as a player with minor league options, he likely still has no idea what city he'll be living in or what team he'll be playing for.

 

For that matter, many players regularly have their "medical information debated across the internet" at least as much as Graterol. Nothing private or sensitive was revealed, just one team's vague interpretation of said medical information. The same seems to get communicated and discussed about other players all the time. I doubt that Graterol cares that some Boston columnist referred to him as "damaged goods" in order to criticize the Red Sox front office.