If the Padres hadn’t claimed Randy Myers in the 1998 season, the following year would have looked a lot different for the San Diego Padres. 

In the summer of 1998, San Diego Padres General Manager Kevin Towers put in a claim on Blue Jays’ closer Randy Myers, which turned out to be a horrendous idea.

Towers made the move to block the Atlanta Braves from claiming the relief pitcher. Atlanta seemed desperate for a closing option as Mark Wholers was struggling at the job. The Padres G.M. also expected the Blue Jays to pull back the claim and not go through with it. The defensive move by San Diego was short-sided and not well thought out.

At the time, the Braves bullpen was shaky, and the thought process was that Myers could push them over the top. The Padres viewed Atlanta as their primary competition in the playoffs, and the unorthodox move was made solely to prevent the Braves from obtaining a viable closer. It backfired as the Blue Jays gladly parted ways with Myers and his remaining contract.

Myers was coming off a 1997 season in which he recorded a league-leading 45 saves for the Baltimore Orioles. His 1.51 ERA that season helped Myers sign a three-year, $18 million deal with the Blue Jays. Heading into the 1998 season, Myers was considered one of the best in the league.

With the Blue Jays, Myers’ fastball velocity dropped alarmingly. Instead of throwing 96-98 mph like the season before, the lefty was routinely clocked in the low 90s. Myers put up a 4.46 ERA in his first 41 games with Toronto. The southpaw recorded 28 saves in that span. He looked as though he was capable of more production, but Toronto sensed his arm was an issue. The Padres did not consider this factor.

In August of 1998, the Padres sent minor league catcher Brian Loyd to Toronto for Myers. Even though Trevor Hoffman was entrenched as the team’s closer, the Padres felt Myers could provide a lethal left, right combination for the Padres. Myers blew a save in his first appearance back with the Padres (He played the 1992 season with San Diego) as he allowed three runs to the Marlins. Myers was effective for his next ten games with the Padres, not allowing a run to score. However, he failed to make it out of the month of September, recording a 6.28 ERA and landing on the D.L. with an injury. The lefty never pitched in the majors again.

This claim goes down as one of the worst in the history of MLB.

The damage it created goes way beyond the 1998 season, as well.

The Padres were on the hook for more than $13.5 million and two years for the closer. To put that into context, Tony Gwynn made $10.7 million for the 1999 and 2000 seasons. Myers would cost the Padres more than $2.8 million in that span. Doesn’t that just blow your mind?

Now think about the fact that after that 1998 World Series run, Kevin Brown, Ken Caminiti, and Steve Finley were all free agents.

Most knew Brown was out of the Padres’ price range, but there was hope to retain Caminiti and Finley.

At the end of the day, Caminti signed a two-year/$9.5 million deal with the Astros with an option on the third year. Yes, the Padres’ only MVP in the franchise’s history signed for less than four million dollars than what the Padres were to pay Myers to sit at home and do nothing essentially. Major League contracts are guaranteed, and the Padres were obligated to pay Myers.

Steve Finley ultimately signed a deal with the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks for $21.5 and four years. At around $5.4 million per season, Finley made a few million less than what the Padres paid Randy Myers in 1999 and 2000. He went on to take his game to another level in the desert, putting up a .851 OPS in six total years with the D-Backs.

Both Caminiti and Finley wanted to remain in San Diego and were sent packing. No negotiations. Not a single offer of worthiness. They were allowed to leave. If Randy Myers had not been under contract, the team may have been able to make a run at the free agents.

Instead, Padres fans got a cruel dose of George Arias at third base and Ruben Rivera in center field. The fans were told both men were the future and the Padres were in the midst of a youth movement. Both players failed miserably with the Padres. The 1999 Padres team finished 74-88 on the year and in fourth place in the division. It was a horrible season.

Could you imagine a 1999 team consisting of Caminiti or Finley (or both)? That would have been fun. Caminiti was a shell of himself, but the nostalgia of having him in the franchise would have positively affected the whole roster. Finley was only scraping his potential, and it was head-scratching that the Padres elected to allow him to walk away.

The sad reality is that the ownership group had no vision, and their thrifty ways continually abandoned all that was right.

Kevin Towers never lived down this claim. The G.M. joked in an interview that every general manager “should be allowed a do-over.”

This was clearly his do-over. What could have been? We can only imagine.

James Clark

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.