Padres avoid arbitration, and then some, with Wil Myers

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Friday marked the deadline for teams and players to exchange figures prior to arbitration hearings. This is mostly a formality, since the two sides can still negotiate one-year extensions between this date and when the actual hearings occur. Still, it’s typically a busy day in the baseball world, and yesterday was no exception. Among players, perhaps the biggest winner was Wil Myers, who not only avoided arbitration for this coming season, but also committed to San Diego for the foreseeable future. Although nothing is official, the Padres and Myers are reportedly close on a six-year, $80 million extension. Assuming it comes to fruition, this would buy out the rest of his arbitration time as well as three free agent years.

Myers, of course, has had a roller coaster of a career. The third-round pick turned into a premier prospect in the majors, reaching the top 10 on two Baseball America lists and peaking at No. 4 in 2013. This ranking came immediately after the oft-discussed James Shields trade, landing him in Tampa Bay for a couple of seasons. Then he was involved in what may come to be known as the Trea Turner deal, a trade that landed Myers in San Diego. In the midst of all this, Myers has quietly turned into a solid player with real power. He slugged 28 homers in 2016 despite playing in the pitcher-friendly Petco Field.

For the Padres, they now have the best hitter in their lineup (which obviously isn’t saying much) locked up for a while. San Diego is clearly in rebuilding mode, but it’s looking to start developing some of its better prospects as soon as this season. In 2017, the Padres’ outfield should boast both Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfroe, who are two of their best prospects. They still have quite a bit of elite talent a few years away from the majors, though, and their next true contending team probably won’t be here for at least three years. Locking up Myers now allows them to ensure he can still be on the team at that point, when he’ll still be squarely in his prime.