On July 14, the Red Sox acquired lefty Drew Pomeranz from the Padres at a steep cost of top pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza. Not long after, it came to light that the Padres under GM A.J. Preller had been maintaining two sets of medical records on their players -- one for outside eyes and another, fuller version for internal use. This misdeed led to Preller's being suspended by the league for 30 days.

As for Pomeranz, the trade that sent him to Boston was central to Preller's suspension, as the Padres reportedly did not disclose to the Red Sox that Pomeranz had been undergoing medical treatment prior to the deal. In matters related, Pomeranz was recently scratched from a scheduled start, and his status for the postseason is left to question. At best, he seems ticketed for a relief role.

At least one member of the Red Sox's high command was most displeased by the perceived light nature of Preller's punishment. That brings us to this Sunday revelation by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred:

Despite the Sox's objections after the fact, this is understandable from their perspective. Pomeranz is 27 and is under team control for two more full seasons. Since the Sox are very much in "win now" mode, he's a near- to mid-term asset who makes sense for them.

That said, if Pomeranz's full medicals had been provided to Boston, the return price might have been a little south of Espinoza. Who can say. To hear Manfred tell it, though, the Sox could've wound back the clock but chose not to do so.