The San Diego Padres have arguably been baseball's busiest team this offseason, and more rumors are linking them to a trade for Philadelphia Phillies ace Cole Hamels. To do that, however, the Padres would likely have to ship newly acquired outfielder Wil Myers-according to reports that's unlikely to happen.
"[Justin] Upton, I think, is maybe best in left (field)," Padres manager Bud Black said. "We're going to continue to look at Wil Myers in center field as a possibility. These are things that we'll talk about as the winter continues and we get into spring."
Myers is an intriguing prospect for the Padres for a number of reasons. After winning the American League Rookie of the Year award in 2013 he was mired in a season-long slump that saw him slash .222/.294/.320 with six home runs and 35 RBI. In the field he cost Tampa Bay three runs-and that was playing in right field. As Black said, in San Diego he will be tried out as the center fielder.
Myers has tremendous offensive upside, his terrible 2014 aside. He hit .293 with 13 home runs as a rookie in 2013, and posted high batting averages with power throughout his stops in the minor leagues.
The Phillies are in the midst of a firesale in which all of their veterans appear to be up for grabs as long as their trade partners will give up good young players. Hamels is believed to be the crown jewel of Philadelphia's stash, and would require prospects that are MLB-ready. Myers has certainly proven he belongs in the big leagues, and Hamels' production warrants a hefty return.
Despite playing for the last-place Phillies Hamels delivered an excellent 2014 season. He went 9-9 with a 2.46 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. San Diego's Petco Park is very pitcher-friendly, and while their rotation is well-stocked with young talent, the staff does have need of a veteran ace.
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