A Holiday Present For Padres, Red Sox: A Wil Myers/David Price Trade

Red Sox Want to Stay Under 2020 Luxury Tax Threshold

All of the talk following the conclusion of the 2019 season was the Red Sox needing to move either Mookie Betts, JD Martinez or Price in order to stay under the $208 million competitive luxury tax threshold for 2020. In plain English, the Sox need to cut payroll as they’re currently $10 million over the threshold if the season started today and that comes with a big penalty, Thus, the Sox are in dire straits to make a trade before spring training.

I’m not buying the rumors of the Red Sox moving Betts before his pending free agency. Team owner John Henry will find a way to reduce payroll and extend him to a long-term deal. Granted, Betts has made it perfectly clear that he will test the open market next winter, but he’s a generational player and the Red Sox cannot afford him to leave the fold just yet. Henry’s best resource to rectifying the situation is moving Price and his $31 million salary.

Why The Padres Need David Price

Adding a veteran starting pitcher who can aid with the development of their talented, but inexperienced rotation is a top priority for the Padres this offseason. No question, Price’s career resume makes him the perfect fit for the Friars.

This isn’t a simple salary dump trade like when the Padres acquired Matt Kemp from the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2014. No, Price is still a quality starter who can adapt his full pitching repertoire to take advantage of the dimensions found at Petco Park very quickly. His work ethic is exhibited by winning a Cy Young in 2012, American League Comeback Player of the Year in 2018 and a World Championship with the Red Sox in 2018 as well.

Yes, the lefthander struggled badly in 2019, but it’s not inconceivable that Price returns to being a double-digit winner in 2020. Today, he relies more on getting batters out with his changeup, but his 92-mph fastball can still get the job done if used in the right pitching sequence. Plus, Price’s vast MLB experience allows him to tutor a young starter like Chris Paddack into learning how to command the strike zone better with the use all of his pitches.

All along, Padres team owner Ron Fowler and general manager AJ Preller have stated the Padres have payroll flexibility for the right acquisition. Moving Myers for Price falls under this category.