Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts has been one of multiple superstars involved in trade speculation this offseason, joining the likes of Nolan Arenado, Francisco Lindor and Kris Bryant. The Betts rumors got especially interesting Thursday when a report indicated the Red Sox and Padres have discussed a swap centering on the 27-year-old. It doesn’t seem there has been a great deal of traction in those talks, but it’s still interesting that Boston seemingly hasn’t closed the door on parting with its franchise player just weeks from spring training.
A couple years ago, the idea of the Red Sox trading Betts would have come off as preposterous. He was a 10-WAR, AL MVP-winning player in 2018 as the Red Sox steamrolled the competition en route to 108 regular-season wins and a World Series title. Neither Betts nor the Red Sox were close to as good last season, but he was still unquestionably one of the majors’ top performers, slashing .295/.391/.524 with 29 home runs and 6.6 fWAR.
If the Red Sox had their druthers, Betts would probably be the guy they’d build around. But Betts has publicly expressed a desire to test the free-agent market a year from now. Betts’ uncertain future beyond this season, in which he’ll earn an arbitration-record $27MM salary, as well as the team’s preference to duck the luxury tax have helped open the door for a trade. And if the Red Sox want to upgrade their farm system in the process (which seems to be the case), there may not be a better place to send Betts than prospect-rich San Diego.
The Padres likely have the prospect capital to make a deal happen, but it will be difficult for them or anyone else to get Betts out of Boston. New chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said just last week that he expects Betts to open 2020 as a member of the Red Sox. In the wake of the latest Betts trade rumors, though, do you believe he’ll still be on the BoSox roster when the new season starts?
(Poll link for app users)
Betts + Price to SD
Myers + Naylor + Lucchesi + some combo of Trammell/Baez/Morejon/Weathers with the Myers/Price salaries being 100% paid by receiving teams.
nah son
Go away
Just pist to the other column that in my view talks with the Padres is probably nothing more than an attempt to get the Dodgers back to the table.
*posted
Exactly
We don’t need Naylor and Trammel was trash in AA
Probably should never EVER care about minor league numbers to the point where youd think a player was bad because they didnt set the world on fire in the hardest league in the minors on their first try.
I can see a deal happening but not Naylor. Myers, Lucchesi, and either Cordero or Margot. Morejon I can see but not Trammell.
Why don’t we just give you both Mookie and Price for nothing ?? We don’t want your scrub prospects !!!
All those “scrubs” mentioned above would rank 1-4 in your WEAK system. Your “best” prospect, Casas, would sit around the 10 hole in San Diego’s system.
Rating systems is so arbitrary and remember Boston’s system is weak because players like Devers and AB came up younger than usual in addition to the trades DD made that helped win in 18.
Maybe not 1-4, but your point is correct (3 of them would be top 7 in Red Sox top 30)
What is funny is that it is the addition of Price that makes this offer ‘not so crazy’ … (because of price) the Padres are taking on $59mm in dead weight (remember the giants ‘bought’ a 2018 1st round pick for $12.7mm (aka Cozarts salary).. take Price out of the package (or agree to accept Wil Myers ($61mm) and the Red Sox could increase the prospect capital ..
‘394sd’ started a pretty good discussion…
Along with cheating helped win!!! Don’t forget!!*****
Go away
Yup, Sox not convicted yet and Beltran stepped down for cheating role with Yankees.
Please try to remember this is just for one year . Padres are better but not competitive, yet. Not going to San Diego!
Happened.
U talking about Michael pineda?? Or Aroid or pettite. Or clemens. Smh
Giambi
We don’t want your scrub prospects !!!
——————————————–
RS fans have to get past this idea that, unless someone is a top-10 prospects or player, that they are scrubs. Guys like Naylor, Lucchesi, Margot and Morejon are likely to be league average.
But that’s also exactly what the RS need.
Make that or a slightly less favorable trade, and sign George Springer as a free agent next winter. He has New England ties, a teammate of Matt Barnes at UCONN. He might actually want to play in Boston unlike Betts.
SD already said they’d rather overpay with prospects to get rid of Myers than to take on Price’s contract, and SD’s top 5 prospects are off the table – both teams are still talking so….stop wasting time writing all that when reality is much different to your fantasy.
I would do it, if Trammell was in the package. You and the writer are correct. SD has a million little pieces that could fit the RS. Since the RS are poor in ‘little pieces’, your guys are more valuable to us than they are to you.
At least put a little more effort than taking all the prospect graduations and prospects just below the top 4. Lazy take..
Yawn…..
What else would Bloom say?
He’s for sale?
I hope Bloom makes a good trade n get some good pitching bk. Price can leave also, he’s worn out his welcome. Mookie for some reason doesn’t like Boston I think, IMO he wants a less stressful place to play n get paid well.
For some reason? Hahaha!
And how good will the Mook be?
Without cheating?
He didn’t cheat in 2019 and was still great
We will see about the Red Sox and 2019. Based on the 2017 findings about the Astros, at least one sports book refunded all 2019 ALCS and World Series futures. That’s a freaking ton of money. I don’t think many people in the know believe the cheaters stopped when they won a world series. The Nationals were well known to have come up with elaborate plans to thwart Astros cheating in the 2019 World Series.
HotAiroLista!
Great to hear from you again. I realize critical thinking or stating the facts isn’t a strength you have but let’s try to here!
That sports book was based out of NJ and only refunded futures bets on the Yankees to win the ALCS and WS. Why?? A PR/Marketing stunt my shortsighted compadre! That is prime Yankees country and they seized the opportunity for some PR!
No established book would’ve ever done such a thing. A small time book in Yankees country did. And they pulled the wool right over your eyes! But let’s not mislead others!
They didnt get caught cheating in 2019… there I fixed it.
Both Mookie and Bradley cheated,I saw them laughing on the bench in 18. At the time they said the pitcher was tipping his pitches because their wasn’t anyone on base. Betts will be traded by the deadline, Bloom was hired to make the transition, and now is the time they can get the best offer for him. Where their is smoke, their is fire!
Roughly 6.6 WAR good.
fangraphs.com/players/mookie-betts/13611/stats?pos…
How good will your comments be next year?
Just as pointless!
Foolish comment just idiotic
Hopefully no one bails Boston out. LAD is about the only one I see doing it. Boston sends JDM, MB, two payments of $30,000,000 and Price LAD send Verdugo. Cards could have made it happen, Arozarena, Carpenter, Bader, Gomber and Miller for Mookie, Price and $20,000,000.
Nah Son
Why are u even in this comment thread just why
Did you just say JDM, a DH, will be going to the LAD, who doesn’t have a DH?
And he said jdm, mookie, price @ 10m/season are only worth verdugo.
In other news kids, drugs are bad, mmkay?
Surprised so many think Betts is staying. I seriously doubt Boston is going to let him walk without getting decent compensation (not talking draft pick). Plus that team wants to get salary off the books
I too thought the poll was for if he would be on the roster NEXT year when I voted but the poll is for “Will Betts be traded in the next 30 days”, which given Boston’s absurd asking price for a rental and wanting to include Price’s albatross contract does not seem very likely.
I am sure 99% of people agree Betts wont be a Red Sox once he is FA.
Mookie Metts !
Padres new to trade Machado since they will never win World Series with that egotistical loser!
COCOMANIA
Exchanging bad salaries with Price and Myers is a great idea but it’s a wash. So Betts exchange deserves some descent return. Gore and Trammell isn’t going anywhere, but the Padres are the deepest group in baseball. 2 or 3 of their top 12 would be a haul for a rental.
Probably should be a dual poll. “Will” Betts open the season in Boston and “Should” he? They should deal him since he has no intention of staying and at least they’ll get a return. And please everyone. Stop mentioning Myers. He would be of no help at all to them.
Naylor and Myers should get it done.
I don’t see it. Boston has no pitching in their minors so Gore would probably be the guy they target as the big thing they are getting back. I also think Red Sox management thinks this is the last year of a closing window. don’t see the Padres putting their top prospect in the deal.
Lets assume the Padres are feeling the heat. Maybe the deal would be something like this:
OF Betts
SP Price
for:
OF Myers
SP Gore
OF Naylor
SP Lucchesi or Quantrill.
It lets the Red Sox shed payroll and get some decent talent back but it means they are pretty much bailing on the season.
Josh naylor struck out 5 times in a game
Josh naylor struck out 5 times in a game
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And Betts has struck out 4x in a game. Guess neither one of them are any good.
Gore….for 1 year of Betts? Am I reading this right? I have never watched a Padres game in my life and I know this a completely absurd proposal. Boston does that deal so fast the GM has a stroke before he can hang up the phone and wont be able to see the fruits of his labor. Meanwhile, Padres sell the franchise and move the franchise to Jacksonville.
Please trade him away. He’s refused to extensions throughout his career. Tired of having him around. Dump him + cold hearted Price off on somebody else.
Both Mookie and Bradley cheated,I saw them laughing on the bench in 18. At the time they said the pitcher was tipping his pitches because their wasn’t anyone on base. Betts will be traded by the deadline, Bloom was hired to make the transition, and now is the time they can get the best offer for him. Where their is smoke, their is fire!
Get ready for dark days Boston! Dombrowski drains farms faster than a toilet flushes, then exit stage left so he doesn’t have to see the rubble.
..at least Boston got a (tainted) WS out of it unlike Detroit.
Dombrowski wins championships. Enough said.
At what cost tho?? The farm is always gone and most of the time he doesn’t actually
Dombrowski won championship*
2 championships, both with an asterisk. 2018: cameras 1997: Eric Gregg
Yeah,you can count them all on one finger.lol
thata how you win. You dont get both. this is why the Dodgers always lose. they never trade talent. looks good on a webnmsite but the reality is the vast majority of prospects are bust
this is the rules working. big market teams should never have such and advantage if people acualy care if its fair competition.
If D. Price has to be included in this trade the RSox has to cover half of his contract if they expect to get good prospects back.
Myers and hosmer for Betts, no salary relief. SD improves and Boston writes off the salary on taxes for charity
How exactly does that help Boston get under the 208?
You shouldn’t be posting this early in the morning.
The Sox and Pads make good trade partners. I said it at the beginning of the off-season. The Padres can cash in some of their prospects to a team with a barren farm system that needs to unload salary. In doing so, they could also rid themselves of Myers contact, sending that contract to offset Price’s massive 99mil remaining over the next 3 years. The Padres then land their impact player in Betts and fill a void in their rotation, thus making them a true contender. Preller is on the hot seat. 2020is his last chance to get the Friars over the hump. The RedSox reset their luxury tax figure, and give them some breathing room to add a free agent or maneuver another trade.
Myers
Weathers
Baez
Luchessi
Trammel
For
Betts
Price
A-ball prospect
Padres do not give up their top 3 prospects, however Boston gets a nice return and shot in the arm as far as young talent into their system.
Tatis
Betts
Machado
Hosmer
Pham
Nice top 5
If we, SD, get Betts the top 5 of the lineup will more than likely be this:
Tatis
Pham
Machado
Betts
Hosmer
Let the Red Sox be stuck with their massive payroll and bad contracts. They made the deals, teams stay away!
Of course, one could just as easily say ‘Let the Padres finish at .500 and miss the playoffs again’.
And let the padres live with their bad myers and hosmer contracts, why bail them out?
No team is taking Myers without San Diego giving up 2 top 10 prospects for the salary relief. The Red Sox aren’t trading Betts for less than 2 top 5 prospects, and they’re not going to take on salary in the process.
I just have no concept of how Myers continues to be discussed with any seriousness. I guess the Padres want to keep hopes in the hearts of their fans or something. Maybe the Red Sox are secretly discussing acquiring Chris Davis from the Orioles, too?
They aren’t getting two top five prospects from anyone for a one year rental. Let alone from a top 3 system. Literally everything I’ve read on the subject specifically states that not one of the top five prospects would be included in the deal. A swing and a miss there fella.
Lots of delusion on both sides.
Myers has averaged less than 1.4 war/yr over 7 seasons in his entire career.
He’s 29 headed to 30. Last year was negative war. Doesn’t hit for average, and even with the juiced ball last year didn’t have 20hr power.
Myers is owed 68.5/3 yrs or 87.5/4 depending how you view the option/buyout at the end.
In what world, what-so-ever, is there ANY value to acquiring myers? Please explain omitting attaching a top prospect, since that is apparently off-the-table.
Please tell.
Making the case for Myers:
1-Between 2016-2018, his average OPS+ was 112, with some consistency. One could make a case that 2019 was an off-year.
2-Similarly, between 2016-2018, his WAR averaged 2.6 and his WAR/650 was 3.1.
3-He can play either of two positions where we need a player (assuming we trade Betts). So it isn’t quite like we have nowhere to play him.
4-His AAV is only $14M, which is what we are interested in, while his 2020 salary is $22.5M, which is what SD is interested in.
5-One of his three years will be his contract year, meaning we will have at least one year in which he is motivated.
Obviously, we are not taking out of the goodness of our hearts. And I like the Price better than Myers. But taking Myers is not a throw-away. This, imho, is not a trade-and-cut like a guy like Kemp. I’d expect Myers to be low-end, but if that is the cost for getting a better package of prospects, I think he is well worth considering.
Does the delusion in my point of view get retracted if I point out that I know he’s a non starter? I did not address Myers as I agree he’s a near impossible sell. I simply believe Betts doesn’t net a return of 2 top 5 prospects.
I love Mookie. But…,he does not enjoy Boston, it’s evident by the Machado money he passed on. He’s not going to get Trouts money but I still wish he would stay his career in Boston but that is not going to happen. So Bloom is not revealing his hand but I hope he’s after a pitcher, especially cuz Price will go too….I hope. If Bloom can’t get pitching or a high end prospect, may a a catcher or outfielder I know he’ll choose wisely.
According to who does Mookie not enjoy Boston?
I’d reply above, but it seems as though the reply button is gone again. Making the case against Myers:
1) Every Padres fan is desperate to trade him for anything which says they know he has no value.
2) Myers averaging 1.0 fWAR over the past 3 seasons and being poor defensively everywhere he plays.
3) Myers dismal 2019 where you could argue a AAA replacement player would have been as good or better.
4) His AAV is not the luxury tax impact value. His AAV is his salary which is $22.5MM for 3 more years. His luxury tax impact is only $13.8MM, but whomever owns this AAAA player will have to pay him $22.5MM per year and that does actually matter.
5) Suddenly finding motivation at age 31 (after having none?) or playing poorly for will have been 5 consecutive years doesn’t sound very realistic.
Myers has negative value. A LOT of negative value. He’d be a really bad contract if he was only earning the luxury tax hit instead of nearly doubling it.
Mookie Betts has positive value and the Red Sox do NOT want to trade him unless it can restock their farm system. Teams are going to have to overpay for him unless they take David Price along and the Red Sox are NOT going to take on new salary as part of the process to dump salary unless it comes with a really good reason (i.e. top prospects)
Wil turned 29 just over a month ago, Hes aged quickly to get to 31.. Look if it takes what some are asking for to get rid of him; the Pads should keep him. This all started with reports from the only respected Padres beat writers saying the conversation got to exchanging names without including the top 4 names. If the idea was so out there with Wil included, Chaim would have given AJ the Heisman like everyone else.
The issue I’ve seen is it looks like you can’t reply to something you posted in already. Maybe to eliminate multiple acct postings in same thread.
That said, you misuse AAV. AAV is the yearly average over the whole deal. It is correct to use the approx 14m number for the AAV, AAV is your cbt number unless another team is paying part of the deal.
Yearly cost is not aav, and that is 22.5m for 2020-2022, and 2023 comes with a 20m salary against a 1m buyout. So myers costs 68.5/3 effectively.
You leave out of your arguments he is a career .760 ops hitter, who Ks alot. Like 25-30% k rate or more lot.
The reality is, you can argue that at most myers may have a home at 1b in 2020. Then you’ve got league minimum dalbec almost certainly ready, and casas near behind. You can probably argue you get equal to better production at league minimum from chavis right now and be right.
At .760 ops you could stick a mix of JDM and Holt out in the OF for an extra 4m a year and get better average production.
Myers in the OF has been a failed experiment, SD proved that for everyone already. He has no glove for the OF. Given his limitations, I doubt he plays the monster well, and RF in fenway is hardest in mlb. I can’t buy the “stick him in a corner of, he’d be fine” argument.
Any price you buy myers for, for 3 years, you probably need to release him after 2020 if you’re trying to put the best team forward in 2021 and beyond. No way hes an upgrade over the potential of dalbec/casas. Maybe he reclaims something to pass him off on waivers, but don’t count on it.
For years, Mookie has stated he was going to taste free agency. I stated to trade him after WS win, he was at his highest value. To get the Padres against the Dodgers would be advantageous. Either way, Mookie is gone before the year is over.