Wil Myers has decided to call it a career after 11 big league seasons, the longtime Padres first baseman/outfielder told MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell. While Myers stressed that he wouldn’t ever “officially” retire, he made his decision in June 2023 after he’d been released by the Reds and was dealing with some shoulder problems.
“I had a great career. I loved what I did. I made a lot of great friends. I have no regrets,” Myers said. “If you had told me the day I was drafted that this would be your career, I would’ve taken it in a heartbeat. I loved what I did, and now it’s just kind of onto the next chapter of life.”
Myers, who just recently turned 34, will hang up his glove after an even 1100 career games with the Rays, Padres, and Reds from 2013-23. Myers hit .252/.326/.437 with 156 home runs over 4290 plate appearances, good for a 107 wRC+ during his time in the Show. He spent the majority of his time in the field as a first baseman and right fielder, but also with a big chunk of time at the other two outfield positions and some time at third base (primarily in 2018, when the Padres had several first base/outfield types they were trying to fit into the lineup).
A third-round pick for the Royals in the 2009 draft, Myers quickly became one of baseball’s most highly-touted prospects, and made headlines before his MLB career even began due to his involvement in a blockbuster trade. In December 2012, the Royals sent Myers, Jake Odorizzi, Mike Montgomery, and third-base prospect Patrick Leonard to Tampa Bay in exchange for James Shields, Wade Davis, and Elliot Johnson. Kansas City’s farm system was viewed as deep enough that it could afford to move even a top prospect like Myers in exchange for win-now help, and the decision paid off — K.C. won the AL pennant in both 2014 and 2015, and Davis was one of the relief aces of the Royals’ 2015 World Series title team.
For the Rays, the deal paid some immediate dividends, as Myers won AL Rookie of the Year honors in 2013 on the strength of 13 homers and a .293/.354/.478 slash line over 373 plate appearances. However, Myers then battled wrist injuries and the sophomore slump in 2014, leading to his involvement in an even bigger trade. The Rays, Padres, and Nationals combined on a mammoth three-team, 11-player deal that is perhaps best remembered today as the swap that brought Trea Turner to Washington (and thus setting the table for the Nats’ 2019 World Series championship).
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