One of the more significant aspects of the Red Sox' trade with the Philadelphia Phillies came in the announcement of the transaction:
"The Boston Red Sox today traded right-handed pitchers Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree and cash considerations, along with a player to be named later or cash considerations, to the Philadelphia Phillies, in exchange for right-handed pitcher Nick Pivetta and minor league right-handed pitcher Connor Seabold.''
Cash considerations.
As it turns out, the cash considerations didn't turn out to be substantial - $815,000 according to an industry source. But that's chiefly because neither Workman nor Hembree are high-salaried players. Workman was making $3.5 million this season and Workman $1.6125 million -- before players salaries became pro-rated, of course.
The $815,000, a source confirmed, was arrived at so that both Workman and Hembree were little more than minimum salary players for the Phillies to add.
Thanks to the pandemic, the ensuing shutdown from March through the final week of July, and, of course, no fans (read: paying customers) allowed in ballparks for 2020, teams are taking significant financial hits. It would appear that the Phillies, as just one example, are being severely restricted in what they can spend on salaries for potential acquisitions.
So, the Red Sox helped them out, paying down $815,000 in order to make the deal work. For their efforts, the Red Sox got nine full years of control for two middle- or back-end rotation prospects in exchange for one reliever (Workman) headed to free agency in another couple of months and another (Hembree) who has just one additional year of control beyond the current season.
Any way you slice, that's a good gamble.
But within the deal, there was another encouraging sign. While the Red Sox' willingness to include $815,000 to get the deal done doesn't represent a huge financial burden, it does perhaps hint at a willingness for the Sox to throw in money to help other deals get done between now and the Aug. 31 deadline.
And if the Red Sox are truly interested in remaking their roster and acquiring more talent for their prospect pool, such a commitment will be necessary.
Industry sources indicate that the Sox are willing to contribute significant salary relief in order to facilitate deals.
Said one person who has spoken to the Sox: "Nothing has been ruled out.''
That's encouraging, since there's a limit as to how much the Red Sox can obtain for shipping out their many free-agents-to-be: Jackie Bradley Jr., Kevin Pillar, Mitch Moreland among them.
To be sure, each of those players represents value on the trade market. But with just five weeks remaining in the regular season, the uncertainly that surrounds the completion of the season itself and the prospect that each team will have to survive a best-of-three first-round playoff series, the value of rentals -- players on expiring contracts -- has never been less.
However, the Sox have several players who could attract interested teams -- if they're agreeable to paying down some of the financial commitments remaining on some of their highest-paid veteran players. The financial losses in the game are such that some owners are not willing to commit to any additional payroll increases, forcing sellers like the Sox to get creative.
Nathan Eovaldi ($34 million for 2021-2022), J.D. Martinez ($38.75 million for 2021-2022), and Christian Vazquez ($13.25 million for 2021-2022) would all fit that category, and draw far more interest if the Sox are willing to, say, pay half of the remaining money on multi-year deals.
There are complications, of course. Martinez, for one, has an opt out after this season and another after 2021, which could limit his appeal. Eovaldi's injury history could also limit his market.
But for teams seeking players with control beyond this season -- to say nothing of cost certainty -- Eovaldi, Martinez and Vazquez present intriguing options. It helps that one is an accomplished run producer, another an established starter and a third plays a premium position.
Of course, moving the likes of Eovaldi, Martinez or Vazquez would suggest that the Sox are prepared for a total rebuild and aren't intent on competing in 2021. The rotation, already suspect, would lose Eovaldi's steadiness while the lineup would be absent a significant middle-of-the-order bat if Martinez were be dealt, too.
Then again, the team's 9-20 record is a stark reminder of how much work needs to be done in order for the team to again be a factor in the A.L. East.
That the Red Sox are even debating the merits of swallowing some contracts in order to be even more aggressive in the next week indicates the magnitude of the task at hand has been duly recognized.