Padres fans should show appreciation for controversial Wil Myers trade 10 years later

Wil Myers saw a lot in his time with the Padres. If there is one player who could make the claim that he was a part of every moment of San Diego's long and arduous rebuild, it's him. Maybe it's his devotion to a fanbase that cheered his name for almost a decade, or maybe it's the unbendable loyalty to a team that for much of his time gave little back in terms of success, Myers will forever be a piece of San Diego. Ten years after the trade that saw him become a Padre, the man needs his flowers.

The three-team trade that saw Myers join the Padres in December 2014 may be one that AJ Preller ultimately came to regret, because whatever the Nationals saw in Trea Turner is something Preller surely wishes he saw first. But right now is not the time to look back on the deal with envy over how the deal ultimately worked out; the Wil Myers era is over, and his time and impact in San Diego has to be appreciated.

Wil Myers set the standard for bringing a championship to the Padres

For much of Myers' time in San Diego, the team was downright forgettable. Finishing with a losing record every year from the season he joined until the shortened 2020 campaign, Myers joined a Padres team that was a perennial loser. And yet, that never seemed to bother him. Of course, the combination of an $83 million fully guaranteed contract and being able to play in San Diego surely influenced his outlook on the situation, but there seemed to be something more.

Myers would join a team with little star power, and would quickly find himself thrown into the position of San Diego's franchise guy; the team would run through him. He would be one of only two Padres representing the host city in the 2016 All-Star Game and would become just the fifth Padre to compete in the Home Run Derby. He received a few MVP votes during the 2020 season. The accolades, albeit few in numbers, are not the only reason why he should be remembered in San Diego.

The Padres' 2022 postseason run was one that San Diego fans dream of (or at least if that dream only includes knocking the Dodgers out of the playoffs). The pride and relief that many Padres fans felt after finally defeating our rivals to the north was not lost on the players, and Myers in particular felt all the same joy. After buying a round for a bar full of Padres fans and continuing the celebration elbow-to-elbow with the people that have cheered him on through the bad seasons and the good ones, Myers would cement himself into San Diego history in a way that only he could.

He embraced the city, and the city embraced him right back. For a team that has seen its fair share of stars come and go, bringing promises of success only to be left again in defeat, there are not many who can say they truly won the hearts of the entire fanbase. Wil Myers can. He delivered to Padres fans exactly what they needed: a core player (and person) to lean on.

Forget the thought of what could have been if Preller never made the trade. Myers was there for San Diego when called. As fans rooting for a team still itching for lasting success, a guy like Myers may be just enough to keep that fandom alive.