San Diego Padres: What to expect from Wil Myers if not traded

If the San Diego Padres can’t trade Wil Myers this offseason, what can we expect from the outfielder going into next season?

There is no question that San Diego Padres GM A.J. Preller is working hard to trade outfielder Wil Myers and his big contract any way that he can this offseason.

But trading Myers and the $67 million he’s owed over the next three years will not be easy, and there is a chance Preller can’t find a willing trade partner.

It might be easier to move Myers’ contract next offseason when he has just two years left on his deal.

If that becomes the case, then what can we expect from Myers in 2020?

The 29-year-old outfielder has put together an interesting career in which he’s really only had two good seasons, but yet he was labeled as a star early in his career and landed an $83 million deal with the Padres.

He was a 2.3 WAR player in 2013 with the Rays, according to FanGraphs, when he hit .293/.354 with 14 home runs in just 88 games.

And then in 2016 he put together his best season yet hitting .259/336 with 28 home runs and 99 RBI in 157 games with the San Diego Padres, which led to the big extension.

Myers was worth 3.5 WAR according to FanGraphs in that 2016 season. Since then he’s combined for just 3 WAR.

If you want to look for a silver lining from 2019, it’s that he hit .271/.332 in the second half, but he saw his power dip from 12 first-half home runs to just 6 in the second half.

Thinking optimistically, I think Myers could give the Padres a 2 WAR season in 2020 hitting .250/.320 with 20 home runs.

At the high end, it’s possible he could put together a 3 WAR season, and I think his floor is a 1 WAR season.

That’s certainly not ideal, but it’s not the worst thing in the world. The Padres can still win with that production in right field.

I think we get caught up in the fact that Myers is overpaid and forget that he can be a solid contributor when healthy. If for some reason Preller can’t move Myers’ contract, and I still believe he will, it won’t be the end of the world.