In a significant deviation from standard practice within the sport,
San Diego Padres officials instructed their organization's athletic trainers to maintain two distinct files of medical information on their players -- one for industry consumption and the other for the team's internal use, multiple sources have told ESPN.
Trainers were told in meetings during spring training that the distinction was meant to better position the team for trades, according to two sources with direct knowledge of what was said.
Major League Baseball is close to concluding its investigation of the Padres' handling of the medical information, and the organization and individuals could face discipline.
[snip]
According to sources familiar with the fallout from some of the Padres' midseason deals, officials from at least three teams that made trades with San Diego -- the
Boston Red Sox,
Miami Marlins and
Chicago White Sox -- were enraged by what they perceived to be strategic deception: veiling medical information that could have been pivotal in trade discussions. At least one other team reached out to the commissioner's office with a complaint, according to sources.
[snip]
On July 14, the Red Sox traded one of their best pitching prospects, Anderson Espinoza, for San Diego's All-Star left-hander
Drew Pomeranz. Sources within the Boston organization say it wasn't until after the deal was made that they became aware of some of the preventive measures that had been provided for Pomeranz.