The Reds introduced at the moment that first baseman/outfielder Wil Myers has been reinstated from the injured checklist and designated for project.
Signed to a one-year, $7.5MM deal over the winter, Myers joined the Reds with the hope that he might rebound on the plate and develop right into a serviceable commerce chip at this yr’s deadline. Issues haven’t panned out as hoped, nonetheless. Previous to being positioned on the injured checklist as a consequence of a bout with kidney stones, Myers appeared in 37 video games and hit .189/.257/.283 with a jarring 34% strikeout charge in 141 journeys to the plate. He managed to attach on three homers and added in a pair of steals, however Myers was nowhere near his peak ranges of efficiency.
Myers’ placement on the injured checklist was considered one of a number of accidents that paved the best way for the Reds to go along with a youth motion within the infield — one which has to this point reaped immense dividends. Spencer Steer, Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz have all impressed this season, and 2021 NL Rookie of the Yr Jonathan India has loved a wonderful rebound season at second base.
With Cincinnati activating stalwart first baseman Joey Votto to hitch that group simply yesterday — Votto homered in his return — Myers’ path again to a spot on the lively roster was cloudy, at greatest. The Reds might’ve tried to search out Myers some taking part in time within the outfield, however every of Will Benson, TJ Friedl, Jake Fraley and Nick Senzel have outperformed the veteran Myers. Given the crew’s present nine-game profitable streak, it’s comprehensible that the Reds didn’t need to disrupt the lineup past Votto’s return.
The 2023 season has been the worst of Myers’ profession. The previous prime prospect and 2013 AL Rookie of the Yr appeared destined for stardom a decade in the past, however he’s settled in additional as a steadily productive common with an offensive ceiling that’s effectively shy of All-Star standing. His eight-year tenure with the Padres was a curler coaster by way of efficiency, however the finish consequence was a .254/.330/.451 batting line and 134 homers in 3415 plate appearances. Myers was considered one of MLB’s greatest hitters within the shortened 2020 marketing campaign, hitting .288/.353/.606 with a whopping 15 dingers in simply 218 journeys to the plate, however that proved to be an outlier fairly than a breakout.
The Reds will now have every week to commerce Myers, go him via outright waivers, or launch him. Myers continues to be owed $3.34MM of this yr’s $6MM wage, plus the complete $1.5MM buyout on subsequent yr’s mutual choice. On condition that $4.84MM left on his contract, there’s no probability one other crew would declare him at this level. Within the seemingly occasion that the Reds can’t discover a commerce accomplice — which might certainly require them both paying down the majority, if not the whole lot of the contract, or taking one other unhealthy contract again in return — Myers will go via waivers unclaimed.
Myers has sufficient service time to reject an outright project with out forfeiting the rest of his wage, so the likeliest end result is that he’ll change into a free agent. Any new crew that indicators him would solely be answerable for paying Myers the prorated league minimal for any time spent on the MLB roster. That sum can be subtracted from what Cincinnati owes him, however both approach the Reds can be on the hook for the overwhelming majority of his contract.
