Alright, here’s the situation. This trade isn’t about Wil Myers.
At least, not primarily, or perhaps secondarily. Tertiarily seems fair. But we’ll start with his why first all the same.
The San Diego Padres longtime OF/1B née 3B/CF has lived at least four lives in his big league career, but now stands as a 31-year-old in his 10th big league season, seemingly the odd man out on a team that was once built around him. Myers was once the only player on the Padres with a guaranteed contract, the lone core remnant of the ill-fated 2015-2016 all-in Padres, earning a staggeringly backloaded six-year, $83 million deal that paid him just $7 million total over the first three seasons but $60 million over the next three, with a $20 million team option for 2023 and a $1 million buyout.