Giants: Five more potential “bad contract” trade ideas

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Red Sox pitcher David Price. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

Boston Red Sox: SP David Price

David Price is easily the best player in any of these trade scenarios. He would immediately become the best pitcher in the Giants rotation and would help alleviate the seemingly inevitable departure of Madison Bumgarner from both a competitiveness and public relations standpoint.

While health has limited Price over the past three seasons, his numbers are quite comparable to Bumgarner:

Price: 68 G, 358 IP, 3.75 ERA, 3.82 FIP, 9.6 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, 1.2 HR/9
Bumgarner: 72 G, 448.1 IP, 3.57 ERA, 3.94 FIP, 8.3 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, 1.2 HR/9

Bumgarner has been sturdier, but he’s also benefited from the National League and Oracle Park. Price has been pitching at home in Fenway Park and against the designated hitter in the American League.

However, Price is also a lot riskier than some of the others on this list.

He turned 34 in August (Bumgarner turned 30) and is owed $96 million over the final three seasons of his seven-year, $217 million contract.

Hoping to shed payroll this offseason, Boston is looking at moving him:

The Boston Red Sox continue to pursue ways to shed salary, and multiple teams have targeted starter David Price, sources tell ESPN. He is owed $96 million over the next three years. Red Sox could either attach player with value or potentially pay down some of Price's remaining $.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 11, 2019

How much money new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom wants to save will impact whether the Giants would be a fit:

If the Red Sox are willing to eat a sizable chunk of David Price's contract, he might be pretty appealing to the Twins.

Three years and $96 million left on his deal. At, say, three years and $72 million, he'd become a viable cost alternative to free agents Bumgarner/Ryu/Keuchel.
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) December 11, 2019

If the Red Sox want a prospect return, they could pick up a sizable portion of his contract and still dip below the luxury tax threshold. However, both outfielder Andrew Benintendi and corner infielder Bobby Dalbec have been floated as potential enticements Boston could package with Price if they want to move more of his money.

Dalbec is a right-handed hitter with plus power, but big swing and miss to his game. An average defensive third baseman, he’s blocked by Rafael Devers. The Giants will soon be looking to replace Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria at the infield corners, and Dalbec’s right-handed power would play in Oracle Park.

Benintendi is 25 with a similar skill set to a young Josh Reddick. He has a very good approach, is solid defensively, and has good power.

He does not appear to have an elite ceiling, but there’s nothing wrong with finding a solid everyday player. Paired with Price, the Giants could gain two immediate upgrades for essentially nothing but flexing their ability to spend.

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