Is Wil Myers’ hot spring an indication that he still has value to the San Diego Padres?
Credit: Padres
Amid a hot spring, has San Diego Padres’ outfielder Wil Myers finally figured it out?
At one point, the San Diego Padres crowned Wil Myers as the face of the franchise.
Myers was awarded a six-year/$83-million extension before the start of the 2017 season by A.J. Preller. The native of North Carolina looked to be a player the Padres would build around in an attempt to create a winning culture.
Oh, how times have changed as the infielder/outfielder seems to be at the center of virtually every trade rumor these days. A.J. Preller and his staff are considering moving the right-handed batter, and most rumors indicate that the Padres are prepared to eat half of the over $60 million owed to Myers over the next three seasons. The Padres are considering paying another team over $10 million per season just to rid themselves of the 29-year-old.
There is no doubt that Myers has not lived up to the hype. His numbers have tailed off drastically from the .797 OPS he put up in 2016 when he made the NL All-Star team. Myers ended last year with a .739 OPS and 168 strikeouts in 435 plate appearances. There was a loss in playing time as he seemed in the dog house for most of the season. But is this a reason to completely give up on him?
Manager Andy Green and Myers did not see eye to eye. Myers could never find any consistency, and some of that may have come from the constant change in position on defense. A more comfortable Myers may be productive. The game is very mental, especially when it comes to the hitting aspect of the game.
This spring so far, Myers has crushed three home runs and is hitting .313 early in the season. The most impressive thing about Myers currently is that he is using the whole field and not pulling off the ball. If the Padres can unlock that in Myers, he has the potential to be a substantial contributor on offense. Jayce Tingler indicated last week that Myers using the whole field is a very positive thing.
Potential is a common word used in baseball. More often than not, players never reach their overall potential. That is how difficult it is to master the sport. There is so much potential in Myers. It is safe to say that he has yet to figure it all out. Allowing his talent to flourish on another team is a scary thought, but the Padres are at that point presently.
Is this hot spring start a preview to a breakout-type season or just a godsend for the Padres as they try to move Myers? The Padres are in full evaluation mode with their roster and nobody is under a stronger microscope than Wil Myers. What will the team do with Myers?
James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.
I hope they keep him… I expect we’ll be watching Renfroe and Joe Ross have great years elsewhere… would hate to see Myers have a great season elsewhere while we pay half his salary…
I say forget about the last couple seasons, put the man in right field, and just let him play…getting him to try a batting glove would be nice, but otherwise, let the man play 145-150 games this season, and see how he does…you might get the surprise of the season…if he continues to be a disappointment after 2020, then peddle him for what you can get…for now…JUST LET THE MAN PLAY!….
Agree. He’s a good athlete, and a heavy lift to trade, give a steady position and a manager who believes in him and who knows.
Congratulations! You win the prize for the worst comment ever. You should have your comment removed, we’ll see what happens.
In the meantime you might want to remember the aphorism attributed to Samuel Clemens:
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.
Or, at least wait for your meds to kick in before posting.
I believe Green and Preller have messed with the mindset of Myers. The inconsistent position and playing time does mess with someone when they’re faced with it initially. Was Will pissed off, got his feathers ruffled, or his ego stepped on? Likely. Anyone can send a major league lineup onto the field. The manager is supposed to manage the players. That includes there psyches, egos, and clubhouse presence. AJ certainly hasn’t helped either by publicly putting Myers in the town square to be egged.
Maybe the change from Green is what he needed. Maybe a consistent position is what he needs. Maybe he is motivated to show AJ his middle finger by making him look like an idiot for trying so hard to give him away for a bag of peanuts and a beer to be named later.
I, like most fans, are not happy about the performance of Myers. Extenuating circumstances have obviously been present. As fans, we can only hope Myers gets better and plays up to expectations with the new manager and consistencies he appears ready to receive.
Side note: let’s hope Hosmer’s ego kicks in and he’s embarrassed to play like he has and that he plays better too. Maybe hitting sixth or seventh in the lineup will take some pressure off of him.
Also agree. It’s some way to run a team/business, to take an expensive asset and do everything possible to degrade his value.