Wil Myers

Quick Hits: Soria, Renfroe, Gordon, Stanton

By Kyle Downing | August 9, 2018 at 8:44pm CDT

Joakim Soria suffered a mild right groin strain during the Brewers’ ninth-inning meltdown against the Padres today. Soria walked off the mound with an apparent injury after allowing a go-ahead grand slam to Hunter Renfroe. According to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, the malady was later described as a mild right groin strain. There’s no official word on the severity of the injury yet, so it’s not known at this time whether Soria will need to miss any games. The right-hander came over from the White Sox just prior to the trade deadline in exchange for a pair of minor leaguers: left-hander Kodi Medeiros and right-hander Wilber Perez.

Here are a few other small items from around the league this evening…

Speaking of Renfroe, the Padres outfielder has been on a tear of late. Including tonight’s grand slam off Soria, Renfroe’s slugged four homers in his past four games. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Tribune suggests that Renfroe’s performance could solidify an everyday spot in the lineup even after Wil Myers returns from the disabled list. That’s good news for the 26-year-old in the wake of today’s news that some of the young Padres outfielders are being intensely evaluated, but it’s also worth noting that Franmil Reyes also homered tonight; his third in his past four games. It will be interesting to see how the Padres address their corner outfield logjam this offseason, or if they choose to at all (Reyes and Renfroe both have minor league options remaining and can be stashed at Triple-A).
The Mariners moved Dee Gordon all the way down to ninth in the batting order in tonight’s game. That’s largely due to the speedster’s incredibly pedestrian offensive performance on the season. He’s hitting .280, but with just a .300 on-base and .343 slugging percentage. The biggest culprit to his lackluster showing is a paltry 1.5% walk rate that’s by far the lowest in the majors and approximately half the size of the next player on that list (Salvador Perez of the Royals). Though the plan right now seems to be for Robinson Cano to usurp some playing time from Ryon Healy when he returns from his suspension, it’s fair to wonder whether Gordon could rest in favor of Cano on occasion down the stretch, if he can’t figure out how to show more patience.
With his 121.7 MPH homer tonight off Rangers starter Ariel Jurado, Giancarlo Stanton broke a Statcast record. The Yankees’ headline offseason acquisition drilled the ball at a launch angle of 17 degrees, propelling it an estimated 449 feet. It’s officially the hardest-hit homer that Statcast has ever tracked. It’s part of a larger trend for Stanton, who has heated up after a somewhat average start to the season. The right-hander’s .308/.363/.561 batting line since the start of June is much more in line with what the Bombers had imagined when they took on the lion’s share of his contract from the Marlins this offseason.

Padres Place Wil Myers On DL, Recall Franmil Reyes

By Kyle Downing | August 4, 2018 at 10:48am CDT

The Padres announced that they’ve placed outfielder Wil Myers on the 10-day disabled list with a “left foot contusion/bone bruise”, retroactive to yesterday. In his place, they’ve recalled fellow outfielder Franmil Reyes.

It’s been about six weeks since the club made the reverse transaction; that is to say, they activated Myers from the DL and optioned Reyes to Triple-A. Myers had been on the shelf with an oblique injury for about two months, and will now be out for a yet-to-be-determined amount of time.

There’s not a significant 2018 impact here for the 43-69 Padres, regardless of how long Myers is out. But it’s certainly a moral blow to a team that when 5-20 in July and hasn’t been able to find its footing in a tough NL West division that also features the Dodgers, Rockies, Diamondbacks and Giants. The silver lining is that a bone bruise probably won’t have a serious long-term impact on Myers’ ability to take the field, despite the fact that he’s got somewhat of an injury history.

For the time being it would seem as though Reyes will directly replace Myers in the outfield, with some combination of Travis Jankowski, Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfroe set to complete the picture. Reyes, for his part, has struggled to a .221/.270/.423 batting line in a small major-league sample so far, though he does come with a prolific power track record in Triple-A.

Padres To Activate Wil Myers, Option Franmil Reyes

By Jeff Todd | June 21, 2018 at 12:22pm CDT

The Padres are set to activate first baseman/outfielder Wil Myers from the DL, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter). His return was suggested on Twitter yesterday by James Clark of the East Village Times, who reported that the team will option Franmil Reyes in a corresponding roster move.

Myers has been on the shelf with an oblique injury and has only taken forty plate appearances thus far on the season. He recorded just one home run and no walks in that ten-game sample, but still stands with a .300/.300/.450 slash to this point.

If there was a notable development early in the year, it could be that Myers drew positive reviews for his work in right field. The sample is too small to tell us much of anything, but it’s generally positive given the circumstances.

After all, the Friars have an extended commitment to Myers, who was bumped to the outfield to make room for Eric Hosmer. Though he’s earning just $2MM this year and $3MM next, Myers is due a healthy $20MM annually from 2020 through 2022. His contract also includes a $20MM option for an additional season, which comes with a $1MM buyout.

There has been chatter at times that the Padres could look to find a taker for some of that deal, though there’s no real indication that it’s a serious consideration. The San Diego organization does have a rather extensive group of options in the outfield, but can ill afford to try to move Myers now, when his value is at a rather low point.

For the time being, then, the club will hope that Myers can show good health and good form on the field. It’s conceivable he could end up being involved in some trade discussions over the summer or the offseason to come. At this point, though, it is not really clear where the interest would come from or how a deal might conceivably be structured.

Without regular time available in right field now that Myers is back, the Padres will send the 22-year-old Reyes down to continue honing his craft at Triple-A. His first taste of the majors certainly highlighted some of his strengths and challenges as a player.

Reyes knocked six long balls and carried a .228 isolated slugging market in his 96 plate appearances. On the other hand, though he had sported quality K/BB numbers on the year at Triple-A, he has posted a whopping 40.6% strikeout rate and meager 4.2% walk rate in the majors. Reyes is also quite a large man who has drawn some ire for his work in the field, though DRS actually viewed him as an approximately average performer in right (again, in a limited sample).

Injury Notes: Richards, Cozart, Bleier, Pomeranz, Padres

By Steve Adams | June 13, 2018 at 11:19pm CDT

The Angels announced tonight that right-hander Garrett Richards exited the game due to tightness in his left hamstring, while Zack Cozart departed early due to a strained left shoulder. As Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register writes, Richards’ fastball velocity was down nearly three miles per hour from its usual levels before he exited the game following a two-run second inning for the Mariners. Richards is slated for an MRI tomorrow. Cozart, meanwhile, incurred his injury while making a diving attempt at shortstop and said after the game that his shoulder “separated or popped out a little bit” upon hitting the ground. It’s not the first time he’s had that type of issue happen, he adds, and he’ll be examined further tomorrow.

Some more injury news from around the game…

Orioles lefty Richard Bleier suffered an arm injury in Wednesday night’s game, which manager Buck Showalter suggested could be related to his left lat muscle (link via MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko). The injury was immediately apparent, as Bleier winced on his follow-through, dropped his glove and immediately began clutching at his shoulder (video link). Bleier already had an x-ray taken Wednesday night, and he’s headed for an MRI on Thursday. While there won’t be an update until that test is complete and the results have been viewed by doctors, but Bleier said that there was “no question” that he was unable to make another pitch, calling the pain “severe” and adding that he’s never experienced that type of injury. While the 31-year-old lefty is hardly a household name, he has a superlative 1.93 ERA on the season and, in fact, has a sub-2.00 ERA for his entire career — a span of 119 innings dating back to his 2016 debut with the Yankees.
Drew Pomeranz has been on the shelf for nearly two weeks, but the Red Sox lefty doesn’t sound especially close to returning. WEEI’s Rob Bradford tweets that Pomeranz says the pain in his arm has mostly dissipated, but he has limited mobility in his neck, which is still preventing him from even throwing. Pomeranz, 29, originally hit the DL due to tendinitis in his left biceps, though it would appear that he’s experiencing additional discomfort at this point. Knuckleballer Steven Wright has stepped into Pomeranz’s spot in the rotation and tossed 13 2/3 shutout innings in two starts.
The Padres announced tonight that outfielders Wil Myers and Franchy Cordero and left-hander Joey Lucchesi are all set to begin minor league rehab assignments tomorrow. San Diego has been without Myers since April 29 due to a left oblique strain, while Cordero has been out since late May due to a forearm strain. In the absence of both corner outfielders, the Friars have been utilizing a mix of Travis Jankowski, rookie Franmil Reyes, Manuel Margot, Hunter Renfroe and Matt Szczur in the outfield, though the impending return of both Myers and Cordero will shuffle that arrangement. Myers has taken just 40 plate appearances with the big league club this season, hitting .300/.300/.450, while Cordero hit .237/.307/.439 through 154 PAs and began to draw some notoriety for his prodigious home run distances and exit velocities on Statcast. As for Lucchesi, he was among the most impressive rookie pitchers in all of baseball through his first nine starts, pitching to a 3.23 ERA with a 48-to-15 K/BB ratio and a 43.8 percent ground-ball rate in 47 1/3 innings. He’s been out since May 15 due to a hip strain.

Padres Place Wil Myers On DL

By Connor Byrne | April 29, 2018 at 12:00pm CDT

The Padres have placed outfielder Wil Myers on the 10-day disabled list with a left oblique strain, Dennis Lin of The Athletic tweets. His roster spot will go to outfielder Travis Jankowski, whom the team recalled from Triple-A.

This is already the second DL placement of the year for Myers, who previously went on the shelf with a right arm injury. Myers missed roughly two weeks then, and oblique strains often require absences of at least that long. Clearly, then, Myers is on his way to a significantly shorter season than expected after appearing in at least 155 games in each of the previous two campaigns.

Without Myers, who has hit .300/.300/.450 in 40 plate appearances, the Padres’ outfield setup figures to mostly consist of Manuel Margot, potential breakout player Franchy Cordero and Jose Pirela. Jankowski and Matt Szczur are on hand as bench options for San Diego, which lost outfielder Hunter Renfroe to the DL earlier this month on account of elbow inflammation.

West Notes: Myers, Ohtani, Haniger, Puig

By Connor Byrne | April 28, 2018 at 11:12pm CDT

Padres outfielder Wil Myers exited the team’s game against the Mets on Saturday with a left oblique strain, according to an announcement from San Diego. The severity of the injury isn’t yet known, but oblique strains often require stints on the disabled list. Myers was already on the DL earlier this month (with a right arm injury), thereby limiting him to 40 plate appearances thus far in 2018. The Padres had a crowded outfield on their hands prior to Saturday’s game, as AJ Cassavell of MLB.com detailed at the time, with Myers, Manuel Margot, Franchy Cordero and Jose Pirela among their options. Pirela had been slated to see more time at second base as a result, but if Myers joins fellow Friars outfielder Hunter Renfroe on the DL, that plan could change.

NL West Notes: Rockies, Myers, Giants

By Steve Adams | April 4, 2018 at 11:37pm CDT

Hours after the Rockies announced an extension for star center fielder Charlie Blackmon, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post chatted with Blackmon’s teammates and manager about the newly inked contract. The question on the minds of many in the wake of the $108MM deal, which guarantees Blackmon $94MM in new money over the next five seasons (he was already signed at $14MM this year), was whether the Rox would be able to keep both Blackmon and Nolan Arenado. However, Arenado tells Saunders that his teammate’s considerable payday hasn’t prompted him to think about his own contract. “Honestly, I didn’t think about that,” said Arenado — a free agent after the 2019 season. “…I would rather not negotiate during the season. I’m happy for Chuck, and it’s not about me, it’s about him. I didn’t really put me and him together with it.”

Even more telling, though, were comments by second baseman DJ LeMahieu, who was candid in expressing his doubt that his camp and the Rockies will even hold talks. “No, there have been no talks and I don’t think there will be,” said LeMahieu. The 29-year-old LeMahieu, a two-time Gold Glove winner and All-Star, is set to hit the open market at season’s end.

Here’s more from the division…

The Padres announced tonight that they’ve placed Wil Myers on the 10-day disabled list due to nerve irritation in his right arm and recalled right-hander Phil Maton from Triple-A El Paso. While Myers will be shut down from baseball activities entirely for the next few days, the Friars don’t consider the injury to be serious and are actually expecting a minimal DL stint, as MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell writes. X-rays have already shown that there’s no structural damage in Myers’ arm, per Cassavell, who adds that a specialist examined Myers and made the diagnosis of some apparently mild irritation. “It’s early in the season,” Myers told Cassavell. “If I can use these days to get this right, get my back right, to finish the last 148 games completely healthy, it’s the right move.”
While they didn’t call a great deal of attention to it, the Giants beefed up their analytics department over the offseason, writes Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. San Francisco has become more aggressive in terms of infield shifting and, during Spring Training, displayed leaderboards with more modern metrics such as exit velocity in the clubhouse. Giants players have begun to ask for additional info on their launch angles and batted-ball tendencies, Pavlovic notes. Regarding the infield shifts, Pavlovic also points out that the addition of a strong defensive player in Evan Longoria, plus the increased emphasis on data, figures to make the club considerably more aggressive in terms of shifts.

NL Notes: Phillies, Arrieta, Neshek, Padres, Myers, Gallardo

By Connor Byrne | March 31, 2018 at 9:13pm CDT

Phillies right-hander Jake Arrieta is on track to make his first start with the club on April 8, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. Arrieta’s going to miss the first week-plus of the season because he’s not yet in game shape, having gone without a contract in free agency until the Phillies handed him a three-year, $75MM guarantee on March 12. The former Cubs star will join Aaron Nola atop Philly’s rotation when he does debut with the team.

In not-so-good news for the Phillies, righty Pat Neshek is fearful that the shoulder strain which forced him to the disabled list could “be something serious,” the reliever informed Matt Breen of Philly.com and other media. The 37-year-old Neshek added that this is the first time he has dealt with this type of injury. “And that’s what’s kind of weirding me out a little bit,” he continued. “But it’s something like, if I had to pitch today, I know I could. But I’m more worried about how it’s going to progress over the next couple weeks.” Neshek was the recipient of a two-year, $16.25MM deal in the offseason. Teammate and fellow reliever Tommy Hunter also landed a two-year deal (for an even richer $18MM). Both pitchers opened the season on the DL, though, with Hunter battling a hamstring strain.
Padres corner outfielder Wil Myers has been dealing with back trouble over the past couple weeks, and it kept him out of the lineup Saturday. It doesn’t seem to be a serious injury, however, as manager Andy Green told reporters including AJ Cassavell of MLB.com that Myers’ issue is “a day-to-day thing at most.” Myers suggested that moving from his previous position, first base, to the outfield has had a detrimental effect on his back in the early going. “I need to work on my posture a little more,” Myers said. “Playing a new position kind of wears on you a little bit. I’ll be fine, going to keep working to get it better. Before too long, it’ll be gone.” Myers, who began his major league career in 2013 as an outfielder, spent the previous two seasons as a first baseman. He moved back to the grass in the offseason to accommodate Eric Hosmer, whom the Padres signed to an eight-year, $144MM contract in free agency.
Yovani Gallardo signed a major league deal with the Reds on Saturday, but they weren’t the only team that pursued the right-hander. Gallardo told C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic and other reporters that he garnered offers from other clubs before joining the Reds (though it’s unclear whether those were big league proposals). He’s now in position to return to regular-season action in the NL Central, where he pitched with the Brewers from 2007-14. Gallardo has collected plenty of experience at the Reds’ Great American Ballpark as a result, having made 15 starts there, Rosecrans notes.

Taking Inventory: San Diego Padres

By Jason Martinez | June 15, 2017 at 7:55pm CDT

This is the sixth entry in MLBTR’s Taking Inventory series. Click for entries on the White Sox, Royals, Phillies, Pirates and Giants.

After trading Derek Norris this past offseason, the part of the Padres’ rebuild that involved trading away veterans to shed salary and/or make room for younger players had come to an end. But that didn’t close the door on general manager A.J. Preller’s ability to wheel and deal during the 2017 season. By signing a quartet of free agent starting pitchers to help bridge the gap until the team’s younger pitchers were ready to contribute—Trevor Cahill, Jhoulys Chacin, Clayton Richard and Jered Weaver were each signed to one-year deals for a combined total of $8.25MM— they also added some potential trade chips to go along with any other players on the roster with less than three years of club control.

With three of the four veteran starters having established some trade value and several other players expected to draw strong interest, the only question is how long Preller waits before pulling the trigger on his first trade of 2017. Let’s break down who could become available…

Rentals

Clayton Richard, LHP (starter) | Salary: $1.75MM

Richard has had a career resurgence since joining the Padres last August, posting a 3.64 ERA over 141.2 innings. The 33-year-old was one out away from a complete game shutout on Tuesday before allowing a 2-run double on his 127th pitch of the game. It was the third time this season he’s flirted with that rare feat. He allowed one earned run in a complete game win against the D’backs on May 21st and pitched eight shutout innings against the Dodgers in his 2017 debut in April. He’s also completed at least six innings in nine of his 14 starts. A reliable lefty starter who can pitch deep into games can be very useful on a playoff contender.

Jhoulys Chacin, RHP (starter) | Salary: $1.75MM

Aside from three disastrous starts, which account for 23 earned runs over 10 innings, Chacin has been pretty good for the Padres. The 29-year-old hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in his other 10 starts and has completed at least six innings on eight different occasions. A reunion with the Rockies would make a lot of sense as their young pitching staff will need some help down the stretch.

Trevor Cahill, RHP (starter) | Salary: $1.75MM

A pair of disabled list stints due to back and shoulder injuries will likely keep Cahill’s trade value to a minimum, but he’s been impressive in a seven-start sample with a 3.27 ERA and 11.1 K/9 in 41.1 innings pitched. If he can return to health—he’s on track to be activated in the next few weeks—the 29-year-old should have at least 4 or 5 starts to showcase his talent to a contending team. He could also draw interest as a reliever based on his strong 2016 season out of the bullpen for the World Champion Cubs.

Erick Aybar, SS | Salary: $1.5MM

There’s not much of a market for shortstops and Aybar has been a disappointment, anyways, with a .215/.282/.328 slash line in 196 plate appearances. Nevertheless, he can be had for very little if a team is looking to add some veteran infield depth. At this rate, he’s more likely to be released than traded.

Craig Stammen, RHP (reliever) | Salary: $900K

Stammen’s ERA is a bit inflated (4.25) due to a three-appearance stretch in April when he allowed 10 earned runs in three innings. Aside from that, his numbers (36 IP, 2.8 BB/9, 9.0 K/9) look very similar to his those he posted as a very effective multi-inning reliever with the Washington Nationals from 2012-2014. The 33-year-old has pitched at least two innings in 10 of his 22 appearances and has held right-handed hitters to a .610 OPS.

Controlled Through 2019

Brad Hand, LHP (reliever) | Salary: $1.375MM (arbitration-eligible this winter)

While there was some early-season trade buzz surrounding Hand after a dominant first month, his more recent struggles—he has a 4.57 ERA over his last 18 appearances with two blown saves and four losses—have most likely scared off any suitors who would’ve been willing to strike early and meet what would’ve been a very high asking price. Still, the 27-year-old has emerged as one of the better lefty setup men in baseball over the past year. The Red Sox were able to flip two-and-a-half months of Andrew Miller for a Top 100 prospect (Eduardo Rodriguez) at the 2014 trade deadline. Hand isn’t Miller, but he’s under team control for two-and-a-half years so it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Padres could net a fairly significant return.

Brandon Maurer, RHP (reliever) | Salary: $1.9MM in 2017, (arbitration-eligible this winter)

Maurer could be a tough sell with his 6.15 ERA, but he’s saved 12 of 14 games, throws a sinking fastball that reaches the upper 90s and is averaging 9.6 K/9. He was also very good after taking over as the Padres’ closer last July, converting 13 of 15 save chances while posting a 3.09 ERA. A team would have to be willing to pay the price for what Maurer has been aside from a handful of bad games—he has a 2.45 ERA if you throw out three awful appearances. Otherwise, the Padres will be happy to hold on to him until at least the upcoming offseason.

Yangervis Solarte, 2B/3B | Salary: $2.625MM in 2017, $4.125MM in 2018, $5.5MM club option for 2019, not eligible for free agency if declined (plus $750K buyout of $8MM club option for 2020)

The 29-year-old, who was rewarded with a two-year contract extension after a breakout season in 2016, has finally heated up after struggling through the first month-and-a-half of 2017. As a result—Solarte is slashing .333/.429/.474 over his last 21 games—trade interest could soon pick up for the switch-hitting infielder. His team-friendly contract, defensive versatility and ability to come through in the clutch—he has a .956 OPS with runners in scoring position—could make him a nice under-the-radar acquisition for a contending team.

Longer-Term Assets

Wil Myers, 1B (starter) | Salary: $4.5MM in 2017, $4.5MM in 2018, $5.5MM in 2019, $22.5MM in 2020, 2021 and 2022 (plus $1MM buyout of $20MM club option for 2023)

The Padres made it clear that Myers was a player they wanted to build around when they gave him a franchise-record $83MM contract extension in January. That doesn’t mean they’re not willing to listen if a team was interested in trading for the 26-year-old All-Star, who had 29 homers and 28 stolen bases in 2016. Teams probably won’t be willing to take on that big contract, however, until he’s proven that he can be an MVP-caliber player since he’ll be paid like one in a few years. Based on his current slump (.547 OPS, HR, 37 strikeouts in 97 plate appearances), I’m guessing that he’s not quite ready to make the jump from “very good” player to “great” player.

NL West Notes: Rockies, Park, Owings, Myers

By Mark Polishuk | February 4, 2017 at 2:47pm CDT

The latest from around the NL West…

The Rockies won’t be making a move for recently-designated Twins first baseman Byung Ho Park, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding tweets. Colorado made a big splash to sign Ian Desmond to fill its first base need and also recently signed Mark Reynolds to a minor league deal as further positional depth. Barring an injury or an outfielder trade (which would shift Desmond’s role), Park doesn’t seem like a fit for the Rockies.
Chris Owings will likely see some time as a corner outfielder during Spring Training, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. The Diamondbacks’ plan would be for Owings (a right-handed hitter) to spell the left-handed hitting David Peralta when a southpaw is on the mound, which would also free up shortstop for Nick Ahmed. Owings has already seen substantial time at short, second base and center field during his career, and D’Backs GM Mike Hazen believes Owings has the athleticism to fill the type of super-utility role that Brock Holt fills for the Red Sox.
The Padres’ six-year, $83MM extension with Wil Myers has drawn “a lot of industry criticism,” ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (subscription required). Some evaluators felt San Diego overpaid for a player who has delivered only good-but-not great hitting numbers for a first baseman, plus Myers has had issues staying on the field; Myers played in just 147 games total in 2014-15 due to injury, though he did play in 157 games in 2016. Olney cites Myers’ good fielding and baserunning metrics as counterpoints to the critics, as well as the fact that the Padres may have felt the need to lock in a new franchise cornerstone as the club goes through a rebuilding process.

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