San Diego Padres: Could a deal for David Price make sense

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David Price Boston Red Sox San Diego Padres (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

We take a look at whether or not it makes sense for the San Diego Padres to make a trade for starting pitcher David Price.

The San Diego Padres would obviously love to get a frontline starter to go with the depth of young starters they already have.

There was no way they were going to be able to match the deals that Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg got this offseason, so if they’re going to find an impact arm for the rotation it will likely have to come via trade.

With that, it appears that San Diego has at least shown some level of interest in Boston Red Sox left-handed pitcher David Price.

The Red Sox have let it be known they are looking to shed some salary, and Price is owed $96 million over the next three seasons.

Let’s take a look at what Price could offer the Padres, and then I’ll give you a couple of trade scenarios.

Price is 34-years-old and won’t turn 35 until August, so he’ll play most of 2020 at 34.

In the last three seasons, he’s averaged 119 innings a season with a 3.75 ERA over that time and 381 strikeouts.

According to FanGraphs, he’s been around a 2.5 WAR player for those three seasons. A far cry from his prime years when he was regularly a 4-5 WAR player.

If you go by the notion that 1 WAR is worth around $8 million, then Price is probably a $15-$20 million pitcher at this point.

And as his age continues to climb, you have to wonder if he’s even going to be worth that in the final three years of his contract.

I’m not trying to say I wouldn’t like having Price atop the San Diego rotation, but that’s a pretty expensive risk that could hamstring the team for a while.

But let’s take a look at how a trade could work for Price and then discuss whether or not it makes sense.

Wil Myers San Diego Padres (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /

Trade scenarios

The first type of trade that could make sense is a trade where the Padres and Red Sox swap bad contracts.

San Diego is set to pay Wil Myers $22.5 million over the next three seasons and is desperately looking to move that contract.

A straight-up trade for Price would save the Red Sox $28.5 million over the next three seasons, or $9.5 million each of the next three seasons.

On the flip side, the Padres would be taking on that extra $9.5 million each of the next three seasons.

And I really don’t see that happening when they’re likely already maxed out on payroll.

Maybe you can get the Red Sox to throw in some money to help offset some of the costs, or a solid prospect, but that still seems like a backwards move for the Padres even if you get a 2 WAR player in Price for the next three years.

Another possibility is a trade where you get the Red Sox to attach a couple of prospects with Price in order to move his contract.

Not sure exactly what prospects the Padres would want, but this deal makes some sense.

The Padres get a veteran frontline starter and a couple of prospects with upside, as well as a little cash. And the Red Sox get a back-up for Christian Vazquez at catcher.

David Price Boston Red Sox (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

Does it make sense

Not only do you have to consider whether or not a trade for David Price is it worth it — meaning, how much production will you actually get from the aging lefty — but does it make sense.

Again, the Padres are seemingly already at the $140 million mark for 2020. In any trade for Price they’d have to increase that even higher.

I would rather do the trade where the Padres get Price, a couple of prospects, and cash.

And then hope you can attach those prospects or others already in the system with Myers in another trade.

A bad contract swap with Myers and Price doesn’t seem like the best way to cut payroll. I think you have a better chance of doing that if the trades are done separately.

And I also think there are other starting pitchers available out there who are less expensive and will likely be more effective.

Unless Preller has already looked into those options and saw there wasn’t a fit, I don’t see why Price should be at the top of the shopping list.

Maybe on down the road this offseason once every other avenue has been explored, but not right now when there are still better options out there.

Next. WM Day 2 Recap: Merrifield and Price rumors. dark

It’s fun to think about though, and I wouldn’t hate having David Price if that’s the starting pitcher Preller is able to grab, but it certainly wouldn’t be my first choice.

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We take a look at whether or not it makes sense for the San Diego Padres to make a trade for starting pitcher David Price.

Trade scenarios

Does it make sense

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