Major League Baseball will introduce a standardized format for medical information, which will outline the data that must be disclosed during trade talks, MLB Chief Legal Officer Dan Halem said Wednesday, according to Baseball America.
The news comes on the heels of the 30-day suspension of Padres General Manager A.J. Preller. In September, MLB ruled that he failed to disclose pertinent medical information to the Red Sox during the trade of left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz. Pomeranz was found to have pitching discomfort and took oral medication to ease the pain.
Preller kept two sets of medical records: a detailed account for the team and a more streamlined list for trade partners.
"We've talked about medical records given the issues we had this season," Halem said, during the annual GM meetings last week. "I think we're going to focus on trying to do even a better job of standardizing that process when clubs exchange records."
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The league has been moving toward a consistent and standardized system, Halem said. A committee of athletic trainers determined the records types every club should maintain and the best way to maintain that information.
"This is kind of an area where we've been moving each year since we adopted the electronic medical records," he told Baseball America, "to get more consistency and standardization across clubs.
"We're going to formalize it a little more and contemplate pushing for guidance in terms of what has to be in and what has to be out; just make sure everybody has confidence in the system," he added.
Halem didn't provide a timeline for when the guidelines would take effect. By and large, the majority of general managers at Wednesday's meeting supported the move to a more formal system.
Further, Halem said the move for standardization was not in response to the Preller suspension, noting that the idea had been circulating for a while.
Twitter: @JessieFDavis
Email the writer: jessica.davis@himssmedia.com
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