Is this the end in San Diego for Padres veteran Wil Myers?

The San Diego Padres have been willing to move off large chunks of their old infrastructure, but Wil Myers has remained on the roster despite all of the regime changes. The barehanded bomber has spent most of the last decade in the middle of the order.

Myers was rarely at full strength this season, but he still managed to hit .261 and club seven home runs in 77 games. Having a vet like Myers on a young team with lots of new faces coming in the door at the trade deadline was instrumental in propelling their run to the NLCS.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Myers is a free agent, and the Padres will likely be big spenders in the offseason as they try to maximize the length of their championship window. Those two factors could contribute to Myers playing 2023 in different colors.

Myers did say that “the window’s open for anything” when asked about a return to San Diego, but the impending reinstatement of Fernando Tatis Jr. will create an infield logjam that could steal even more at-bats from Myers.

Even though Myers stayed with the team through some very tough seasons, an exit appears likely due to the fact his $20 million club option is too pricy.

Will the San Diego Padres part with Wil Myers?

Myers has hit 134 home runs in a Padres uniform, having recently passed Ryan Klesko for sixth all-time on the club’s home run list. Myers was a deserving All-Star early in his Padres career, but it is clear that he has lost a step ,considering how the last few years have gone.

Even though he dominated in the COVID-shortened season, Myers has not topped 20 homers in a season since 2017. With his glove not a positive asset at this point in his career and Josh Bell likely coming back despite his free agency, the paths to consistent playing time are vanishing.

Myers can still help a contender, but he’s at a point in his career where he is likely not going to take well to a full-time bench role. If this is the end, San Diego was able to pull eight great seasons out of him, establishing him as one of the best players in franchise history.

The Padres are always looking to turn the roster over and find younger alternatives to veterans like Myers. With A.J. Preller now fully aware of the fact that this team needs one or two more bats in the lineup to contend for a championship, it could be time to close the book on the Myers era.

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