Could Miami Marlins End Up With Wil Myers In J.T. Realmuto Deal?
The Miami Marlins could enhance the prospect haul and add a player worth watching if they agree to take Wil Myers from the San Diego Padres.
The biggest story of the Miami Marlins offseason remains the same: will their franchise player even be on the roster come Opening Day? The only name kicked around more this MLB offseason than Bryce Harper and Manny Machado has been that of J.T. Realmuto. Finally recognized as the game’s best backstop, his demand has never been higher. What seems to have been forgotten of late though is owner Derek Jeter’s stated preference to get MLB talent back in a deal– not just prospects.
That fact, along with MLB Pipeline’s deepest system, makes the San Diego Padres the clear front runner. And it means Miami Marlins fans shouldn’t be at all surprised if former All-Star Wil Myers is their Opening Day first baseman.
The Padres are clearly a team desperate to make at least one big move, linked to Machado and Realmuto over the past week. The Marlins want near guaranteed production in return, considering last year’s can’t miss prospect Lewis Brinson couldn’t hit .200 while Christian Yelich was off winning the MVP award. The marriage seems perfect.
Why? Because the biggest stumbling block for the Padres in their pursuit of Harper and Machado seems to be money. Specifically, the onerous contracts of Myers and Eric Hosmer. Myers has over $60 million remaining on his deal. If the Marlins offer to take on even half of that, that could free up San Diego’s purse strings.
And that favor would absolutely be worth dealing the Miami Marlins another MLB Top 100 player.
On the Marlins end, they get to correctly claim they are spending enough money on payroll. They also get to add an All-Star to the roster. One with established big league pop for a lineup that desperately needs it. What’s more, there’s every reason to believe Myers would benefit from the move. Myers changed positions to accommodate Hosmer, logging double-digit appeareances at three different positions in 2018. First base was not one of them, and a case can be made that 2018 was the worst season of his career.
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Injuries were definitely a part of that; Myers only appeared in eighty-three games last season. However, his two seasons prior to that as a full time first baseman only resulted in 58 HRs, 168 RBI, and an All-Star nod. The man belongs at first, and with all due respect to Peter Obrien and Neil Walker, nobody is blocking him from the job.
If Myers can recapture his Home Run Derby form, he’s a legitimate draw for Miami Marlins fans. For some clubs, he’d be a burden. For Miami, he’d be the best player in the lineup. More importantly though, the Marlins can demand a richer prospect haul if they take on salary. Think two, even three Top 10 picks from baseball’s richest pool of young talent.
As for the San Diego Padres, the move likely frees them up to top the White Sox offer for one the offseason’s two superstars. With the added bonus of getting to make Realmuto part of their pitch when selling themselves as a contender.
Next. Realmuto odds for finalist teams. dark
It’s a clear win for both teams. If San Diego is indeed the J.T. Realmuto winner with the Miami Marlins, don’t be surprised if Wil Myers ends up in Little Havana.