Yankees, Red Sox hot over Josh deal
The Yankees and Red Sox never agree.
That they are now likely speaks volumes to the topic at hand.
The two bitter rivals recently “voiced displeasure” to MLB regarding the Indians’ recent trade with Toronto for star third baseman Josh Donaldson, according to The Athletic.
The trade was completed Aug. 31, the deadline for which a traded player is eligible to play in the postseason with his new team.
That a deal was even completed in time has the Sox and Yanks up in arms.
Donaldson’s unclear health status — he hasn’t played since May 28 due to a calf injury — is at the forefront of the teams’ issues with the deal.
The 2015 AL MVP, who hasn’t played since May 28, began a minor-league rehabilitation assignment on Aug. 29 and was deemed healthy enough to be placed on revocable trade waivers by the Jays and commissioner’s office.
But the Indians placed Donaldson right back on the DL after dealing for him two days later. He is expected to be activated today.
“I guess he got re-injured on the plane,” one rival executive told The Athletic, sarcastically.
Before Donaldson was placed on revocable waivers, he and his agent told the Jays he wasn’t healthy. The organization disagreed, and the infielder only agreed he was no longer hurt once the MLBPA became involved.
If Donaldson wasn’t said to be healthy, he most likely wouldn’t have been placed on the revocable waivers before the postseason deadline.
But now the infielder could cause damage come postseason.
Other teams strayed away from putting in a claim for Donaldson at risk of getting stuck with his remaining $4 million in salary, The Athletic reports.
Explainer: Revocable waivers go into effect following the July 31 non-waiver deadline. Players deemed healthy must be placed on revocable waivers to be dealt — if they’re not claimed within 47-business hours, then the player can be traded to any other club. If they are claimed, the team holding the players’ rights has the option of letting them go for free, working out a trade within 48.5 business hours or pulling the player off waivers.