Yes the Red Sox are still discussing a trade involving Wil Myers, even with Mookie Betts already gone. The trade however is not based around bringing Myers to Boston. Cal Quantrill is the “centerpiece” of the trade. Considering we do not even have a fifth starter, trading for a RHP that can eat innings makes sense. While Andrew Cashner could fill that void for cheap, he has no real potential. With that idea in mind, Cal Quantrill does make sense for the Red Sox moving forward.
Cal Quantrill
Quantrill made his MLB debut in May, and was able to log 103 innings with the Padres. Cal did struggle in his first season, posting a 5.16 ERA in 2019. His career minor league ERA was 4.46 so I frankly could not tell you how he even ended up in the majors. That said, I am not totally out on this trade, just let me explain. While Quantrill has yet to put everything together, he does have a solid pitch mix. He was the 8th overall pick in 2016 and has the potential to develop into a solid back of the rotation piece. That is something the Red Sox so desperately need.
Wil Myers
The Red Sox have flipped their luxury tax situation and can now afford to add a little to their payroll. Myers is owed $60 Million over the course of the next three seasons with a club-option for 2023. HOWEVER, the Padres are willing to pay half of his remaining salary, making the Red Sox responsible for only $10M a season. On top of that – Wil Myers has a back-loaded contract, which is a good thing for the luxury tax. The luxury tax goes by average annual value, which for Myers is only $13.8M a season. That number does not include the salary relief from the Padres.
So, the Red Sox will likely only be charged $10M a season and be rewarded with prospects for taking Myers off the Padres hands. For a team that lacks a strong farm system, I would be willing to make this deal if they included one of the names that were tossed around in Kevin Acee’s report. Catcher Luis Campusano and SS Gabriel Arias were linked to the trade. Campusano is the 50th ranked prospect on MLB.com. The part of the trade that could ax this deal would be the return for the Padres.
Should this trade happen?
I see this trade as a salary dump of Wil Myers. Taking on his salary should essentially be Boston’s contribution to the trade. If we also have to give up top-10 prospect or even Jackie Bradley Jr., I would call this thing off and give Danny Salazar or Andrew Cashner a call. If the Red Sox are able to trade a no name prospect for Quantrill, Myers and Campusano, count me in. Quantrill slides into the fifth spot in the rotation, preventing our bullpen from getting overly taxed. Myers can help out Moreland at 1B while finding a nice comfortable seat on the bench when Chavis or Dalbec are ready to take some hacks. This trade is weird but it could improve the Red Sox for 2020 and beyond.