Report: Red Sox, Yankees Among Teams Upset with Josh Donaldson Trade to Indians

The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees were not happy with Josh Donaldson's trade to Cleveland in August.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, both teams "voiced displeasure" with the deal. He added: "To the irritated clubs, Donaldson's status amounted to a contradiction: He was sufficiently recovered from a left-calf injury to go on revocable trade waivers and get dealt, but not healthy enough to join [Cleveland] immediately, requiring another trip to the disabled list instead."

The Houston Astros also reportedly inquired about the deal and why Major League Baseball allowed it and were "satisfied with the response," per Rosenthal.

It all came down to the timing of the deal. Had Donaldson been dealt after Sept. 1, he wouldn't have been eligible to play for Cleveland in the postseason. The slugger has been out of action since May 28, and his return grew complicated when the Blue Jays determined he was healthy enough to play, while the player and his agent maintained he wasn't. 

Donaldson ultimately agreed he was healthy enough to return and was put on waivers, appearing in a rehabilitation assignment on Aug. 29, per Rosenthal. But upon arriving in Cleveland, he was immediately put back on the disabled list, which smelled fishy to some executives: 

"By rule, the Indians had to add Donaldson to their active roster immediately. Donaldson, however, went right back on the DL after an assessment by the team's medical staff in Cleveland, and began another rehabilitation assignment just three days after the trade.

"'I guess he got re-injured on the plane,' one rival executive said, sarcastically."

Per that report, however, "baseball allowed Donaldson to play in additional rehab games to help resolve his earlier dispute with the Jays and enable him to grow more comfortable with playing again, and made teams aware of the accommodation, sources said."

Donaldson, 32, was reportedly traded to Cleveland for $2.7 million in cash and minor league pitcher Julian Merryweather. He's appeared in just 32 games this season, hitting .234 with five home runs and 16 RBI. He's one season removed from bashing 33 homers and 78 RBI for the Blue Jays, however, and came into the 2018 season with three straight seasons of 30 or more home runs.

He was also the 2015 AL MVP, and his addition could be a major upgrade for a Cleveland team seeking to end its World Series drought.