The 2020 MLB offseason has seemed to slow down a bit lately, as the amount of needle-moving transactions seems to be running dry, ever since the Mookie Betts deal went through that sent him from Boston to the Los Angeles Dodgers. But with how active the San Diego Padres have been reported to be on the trade wires, things may still get a bit spicy before the regular season begins.
According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Padres have been engaged with the Boston Red Sox on a potential deal focused on outfielder and first baseman Wil Myers, who currently is on the books for $61 million for another three seasons. Having been talking with the Red Sox dating back to negotiations for Betts before he was traded to the Dodgers, General Manager AJ Preller and the Friars’ front office looks ready and willing to give up valued prospects to try and clear some large money deals off of their books.
Just to gain payroll space is not the main motivational factor here – it is to try and move money around so they can also go out and make a few outside additions, which seem to be focused on adding either Cincinnati Reds’ sophomore phenom Nick Senzel or superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor of the Cleveland Indians.
Adding either player to the team would help the Padres compete in a National League West division that has been owned by the Dodgers for much too long and does not look to be in danger of changing hands any time soon. Any sort of additions would help vault the Padres higher up in the Wild Card projections more than anything, which would represent a huge improvement from their 2019 campaign.
Potential Myers deal
For the Red Sox to take on the kind of money that Myers is owed, a prospect sweetener would need to be added into the deal, with farmhand Cal Quantrill looking to be the likeliest prospect to change uniforms along with Myers.
According to Acee, the Red Sox have seemed to zero in on including Quantrill in any salary-dump deal that sends Myers to Bean town, but they have also looked into the availability of high-tier prospects Luis Campusano and Gabriel Arias. Quantrill looks to be the apple of the eye of Chaim Bloom in Boston, which would represent a bit of added value that the team managed not to recoup in the Betts deal with the Dodgers.
Acee also lists that while shipping Myers out of town helps immensely with clearing some cap sheet space, the Friars are more than willing to take on half of Myers’ deal to help offset the price that they would need to pay in terms of prospects sent along with Myers. The Red Sox, on the other hand, would still add a decent amount of money, but the prospect return would justify them taking on money, even after they just shipped out Betts for the intentions of getting rid of money.
Myers has failed to justify his six-year, $83 million deal, especially when he produces a 2019 season of .239/.321/.418 with 18 home runs in 155 games, a far cry from the player that he was projecting to become when he was signed to that albatross of an extension. Having been moved from the Tampa Bay Rays to the Padres, Myers looks to be imminently be on his way, even if it takes a bit longer to make the financial aspects work.
Involvement of Senzel and Lindor
Dennis Lin of The Athletic wrote about how Senzel is specifically integrated into these talks involving Myers and the Red Sox, speaking to how the deal to ship out Myers could turn into a three-team deal that involves sending Senzel to the Padres to man their center field position for 2020 and beyond.
Senzel, who was the second overall selection back in 2016, quickly rose up through the Reds’ minor league system and has looked to be that impactful player that they wanted when they selected him as high as they did. However, with no signs about how reluctant they are to ship him out (especially in a deal of this sort), the Reds are at a bit of a crossroads of sorts, needing to justify their spending spree this past offseason with results yet needing to determine if Senzel would be best on this team helping them rectify their winning ways or by shipping him out to bring in external talent.
No deal has been rumored to be imminent, and while the Padres and Red Sox continue to hold talks that date back to earlier in 2020, the Reds are not known to be actively inserting themselves into any sort of deal that involves Senzel. While a bit early to give up on a high draft pick that still has a huge ceiling, the Reds may feel the pressure of needing to perform in a very stacked NL Central division that also includes 2019 postseason entrants like the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers, as well as the always-dangerous Chicago Cubs, although the Pittsburgh Pirates should easily secure the basement of the division this upcoming season.
For Lindor, the Padres have been rumored to be interested in acquiring the All-Star shortstop from Cleveland, which seemingly dates back to the Indians’ reported willingness to shop him. While his contract does not expire until after the 2021 season, they would get the most value possible for him if they were to shop him now, which could help restock a team that fell off of its first-place perch in the American League Central division last year.
San Diego has the prospect load to make all of these deals work, but the biggest conundrum of this entire picture would be the fit of Lindor in the current construction of the Padres. With Eric Hosmer firmly entrenched over at first base, Manny Machado manning the hot corner, and Fernando Tatis Jr. coming off of his first season of MLB action at shortstop, second base looks to be the biggest hole that needs filling.
Tatis Jr. would most likely be the player on the move positionally to accommodate Lindor in the infield, which would make for one of the most electric infields in all of baseball.
Regardless of how long it takes for a deal to come together or if a deal even happens at all, the Padres are willing to showcase their desires early on in ‘20 for the upcoming season, shaping up for a very interesting Spring Training and regular season.
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