Having shed $43 million in payroll with their massive five-player trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Red Sox successfully got under the competitive balance tax (CBT) threshold of $208 million for 2020, with room to spare,
Since then, the Sox have been reinvesting some of the money saved. Days after the deal, they spent $4.25 million on outfielder Kevin Pillar.
And now, the Red Sox are again involved in trade talks with the San Diego Padres that would see them take on Wil Myers while also enabling them to obtain some elite prospects. (Myers had previously been part of discussions between Boston and San Diego when the two franchises were involved in negotiations surrounding Mookie Betts. Now that Betts has been sent elsewhere, the talks have re-started, albeit in a different form).
Myers himself is of limited value to the Red Sox. Last year, he posted a .739 OPS, his lowest figure since 2014. He's 29 and is an underwhelming defender. Worse, he's due $68.5 million over the next three years.
So how does that make sense for the Red Sox? Why take on a player with declining skills who's set to earn an average of almost $23 million in each of the next three seasons?
Two reasons:
- The money isn't what it seems to be.
- In order to make the deal, the Padres would have to sweeten it by including some prospects.