Will Myers The longtime Padres first baseman/outfielder told MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell that after 11 major league seasons, he’s decided to call it a career. Although Myers stressed that he would never “formalHis decision to retire comes after he was cut by the Reds in June 2023 and is dealing with some shoulder issues.
“I’ve had a great career. I love what I do. I made a lot of good friends. I don’t regret it” Myers says. “If you had told me the day I was drafted that this would be your career, I would have taken it without hesitation. I love what I do and now it’s just about moving on to the next chapter of my life”.
Myers just turned 34 and will hang up the gloves after playing 1,100 career games with the Rays, Padres and Reds from 2013-23. Myers hit .252/.326/.437 with 156 home runs in 4,290 plate appearances, posting a 107 wRC+ during his time in the show. He spent most of his time on the field as first base and right field, but also spent most of his time at the other two outfield positions and some time at third base (primarily in 2018, when the Padres had several first basemen baserunners)/the type of outfield they are trying to fit into the lineup).
A third-round pick of the Royals in the 2009 draft, Myers quickly became one of the most highly regarded prospects in baseball and was recognized for his involvement in a deal before his MLB career even began. The blockbuster deal made headlines. In December 2012, the Royals sent Miles away. Jack Odorizzi, Mike Montgomeryand a third base prospect Patrick Leonard travel to tampa bay in exchange for James Shields, Wade Davisand Elliot Johnson. Kansas City’s farm system was considered deep enough to even be able to move a top prospect like Miles in exchange for immediate winning help, and the decision paid off — Kansas City won the ALCS in 2014 and 2015. United pennant, and Davis was one of them.
For the Rays, the trade paid some immediate dividends, with Myers winning the 2013 American League title with 13 home runs and a .293/.354/.478 slash line in 373 games. Rookie of the Year honors. However, Myers then battled a wrist injury and a sophomore slump in 2014, leading to him being involved in a bigger deal. The Rays, Padres and Nationals combined for a mammoth three-team, 11-player deal that may be best remembered today for the exchange that brought Tretna Headed to Washington (thus setting the stage for the Nationals’ 2019 World Series championship).
From Myers’ perspective, the deal kicked off an eight-year run in San Diego that, despite its many ups and downs, was overall a success. Much of his time with the Padres has been viewed through the lens of the six-year, $83MM extension he signed before the 2017 season, the largest contract in San Diego franchise history at the time. With big paychecks inevitably came higher expectations, but Myers didn’t quite live up to them as injuries and a propensity for strikeouts limited Myers’ production.
Still, Myers made plenty of notable plays during the trade. Myers was an All-Star in 2016, hit 30 home runs in the 2017 season and emerged as one of the best hitters in baseball during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. The 2020 season was particularly notable as the Padres earned a wild-card berth, marking San Diego’s first playoff appearance since 2006 and the official end of the team’s lengthy rebuild. Ironically, Myers’ contract made it difficult to trade him amid the Padres’ other cost-cutting moves, and as a result, Myers ended up being “the only player who turned the entire franchise around,” Cassavell wrote.
With the 2022 season approaching and Myers becoming a part-time player and again dealing with injuries, it’s no surprise that the Padres declined to offer Myers a $20MM club option for the 2023 season. Myers, a free agent for the first time in his career, landed in Cincinnati on a one-year deal worth $7.5MM guaranteed, but he hit just .189/.257/.283 in 141 PA, finishing with Be his player.
MLBTR congratulates Myers on a great career and we wish him the best following the game.
