The Padres were one of the deadline's most active traders, moving a number of noteworthy players, including Andrew Cashner, Drew Pomeranz, Melvin Upton Jr., and Matt Kemp. As it turns out, they might've been dealing in damaged goods.
We already knew the Marlins had taken issue with Colin Rea's health. Now Buster Olney reports the Red Sox believe the Padres didn't fully disclose Pomeranz's medicals during trade discussions.
Here's what Olney reported:
In July, the Boston Red Sox swapped star pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza for Drew Pomeranz, a left-hander named to the National League All-Star team earlier this year. According to sources, the Red Sox have become aware of medical information with Pomeranz that they believe was not properly disclosed during trade talks.
Olney notes that the Red Sox aren't pursuing an alteration to the original deal. Still, that doesn't mean the Padres are in the clear. Gaining a reputation as a team that withholds important medical concerns is never good. The difference between negotiating in good and bad faith hinges on perceived intent, even if a player is later beset by an injury on his new team.
On the Rea front, the Padres announced on Friday that he'll need Tommy John surgery. Rea was initially traded to the Marlins as part of the Cashner deal, then later traded back to the Padres in return for one of the traded prospects after he was injured in his first start for his new team. Now you can likely forget about seeing Rea on a mound until 2018.
Per Olney, Major League Baseball is aware that the Padres' dealings are drawing scrutiny around the league and reviewing the deals, though whether the Padres will be penalized in any way remains to be seen. Even if they escape without being reprimanded, if the Padres lose the benefit of the doubt, then that's certain to impact the willingness of other teams to work with them on plausible deals.
Any team that limits its own trade market through seeming shady behavior is essentially cutting off its own finger -- and that's especially true for a team that has been as dependent on the trade market as the A.J. Preller-led Padres have been the past two years.
