Just when it seemed like Wil Myers might have found a new home, the young outfielder is the subject of trade rumors again. The San Diego Padres have been extremely active this offseason, and Myers might be moved for an ace pitcher.
Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News reports the latest on Myers.
“The Padres have had discussions about trading for [Cole Hamels], who happens to be a San Diego native,” Lawrence writes, “with newly acquired outfielder Wil Myers as potential bait, according to a baseball source.”
Myers, 24, was named the American League Rookie of the Year during his 2013 season with the Tampa Bay Rays. However, he was hampered by injuries in 2014 and hit just .222 with six home runs in 87 games with the Rays.
The recent trade gave the Padres more potential power, but a trade would fill another need in the rotation. Those talks might be a bit premature, as Dennis Lin of U-T San Diego points out.
“Indications from sources within the organization, however, are that the Padres intend on playing all three of their newest outfielders, including Myers,” Lin writes. “The early plan is for the 2013 American League Rookie of the Year to start in center field, flanked by fellow power-hitting right-handers Justin Upton and Matt Kemp.”
C.J. Nitkowski of Fox Sports 1 offers his take on a potential move for Myers, per MLB Network Radio:
Regardless of where Myers begins the upcoming season, he will need to turn things around to live up to his production from his rookie campaign. If he can touch anywhere close to the numbers he posted in 2013, Myers would be a good fit for any team.
Already equipped with the likes of Justin Upton and Matt Kemp, the Padres would have a wealth of talent in the outfield if they kept Myers. In a division with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants, they might need more than just power bats to compete.
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