San Diego Padres: Three players entering make-or-break seasons

Wil Myers

Like Renfroe, Wil Myers needs to step up this year. Entering his fourth year of a six-year extension, his salary increases from $5.5 million last year to $22.5 million in what’s a textbook backloaded deal. His 2018 and 2019 seasons left a lot to be desired, including a career-worst 34.3 percent strikeout rate in the latter year.

He’s been subject to trade rumors again this offseason, most recently drawing interest from the Boston Red Sox. The trade would have essentially been a salary dump for the Padres, but nothing ever materialized from the speculation.

Myers hasn’t logged an fWAR higher than 2.0 since 2016, and his defense continues to be questionable. Would the Padres have extended him had they known this was coming? Probably not.

Fangraphs projects him to post a .240/.318/.440 line with 21 home runs and 65 RBI but negative offensive and defensive ratings again. With reports that Myers and former Padres’ manager Andy Green never seeing eye-to-eye, there is a glimmer of hope that he will rebound under Jayce Tingler this year.

If spring training is indicative of his regular-season – .421/.476/1.000 through seven games – then he’s likely in store for an outstanding year.