Examining Wil Myers’ Struggles
Wil Myers stands as one of the Padres’ highest-profile and highest-paid players, the recipient of a six-year, $83MM contract extension entering the 2017 season. Myers was a first baseman coming off his lone All-Star season at that point, but his production has dipped since he landed his deal, and he lost his first base job when the team made an eight-year, $144MM commitment to Eric Hosmer in February 2018. Now, three months into the 2019 season, a struggling Myers is losing playing time as a member of a crowded outfield, as AJ Cassavell of MLB.com writes.
Myers was out of the Padres’ starting lineup for their game against the Cardinals on Saturday. The 28-year-old has now started just twice for the Padres since June 19, a span in which he has totaled only 10 at-bats. Padres manager Andy Green insists Myers’ relegation to the bench is temporary, a way for the player to work on getting his strikeout issues under control.
“We expect Wil to be a part of what we’re doing here for a long time,” Green told Cassavell. “He’s handled everything that we’ve given him well.”
Green’s words may not do much to quell trade speculation centering on Myers, who doesn’t look like an ideal fit for the team’s roster anymore. The problem, even if San Diego does want to trade Myers to alleviate its outfield logjam, is that he likely doesn’t have much value. Myers’ 104 wRC+ since he signed his extension is just a bit better than league average – which isn’t optimal for a first baseman (if another team put him back there) or a corner outfielder, let alone a well-compensated one. Because the Padres heavily backloaded Myers’ contract, he still has $62.5MM in guarantees coming his way through 2022 (including a $1MM buyout for ’23).
Myers is now in the throes of his worst season since 2014, the year before the Rays traded him to the Padres. Across 272 plate appearances, Myers has hit .223/.317/.408 (94 wRC+) with 11 home runs, nine steals and 97 strikeouts against 31 walks. The former AL Rookie of the Year’s strikeout rate (35.7 percent) is 9.5 points worse than his career mark and good for dead last in the majors among qualified batters. Moreover, Myers ranks toward the bottom of the sport in expected batting average (16th percentile), average exit velocity (37th percentile), expected slugging percentage (43rd percentile) and expected weighted on-base average (43rd percentile), according to Statcast. There’s very little difference been his .325 xwOBA and .318 real wOBA.
To Myers’ credit, he’s a fast runner who has been a neutral or better corner outfielder over the past couple years, per Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating. Myers has accounted for 3 DRS/1.5 UZR in the corners this year, though subpar work in center (minus-6 DRS, minus-2.7 UZR) has stained his aggregate defensive contributions. Overall, the package has been worth a measly 0.3 wins above replacement this year. Three Padres outfielders – fellow right-handed corner sluggers Hunter Renfroe and Franmil Reyes as well as athletic center fielder Manuel Margot – have outdone him by that metric. The club also has rookie corner outfielder Josh Naylor on hand, though his career has gotten off to such a slow start that even Myers’ so-so 2019 numbers trump his.
To be sure, Myers is a better player than Naylor at this juncture. Still, Myers continues to look like a questionable fit in San Diego, and his recent role change (even if impermanent) makes that all the more obvious. But it remains to be seen whether the Padres, who are 41-40 and pushing for a playoff spot, will try to find a taker for Myers in advance of the July 31 trade deadline. Considering Myers’ unspectacular production and the money left on his deal, doing so wouldn’t be easy.
Injury Notes: Hendricks, Pence, Haniger, Treinen, A. Wood
The Cubs lost left-hander Cole Hamels to the injured list Friday, but there’s better news regarding fellow rotation stalwart Kyle Hendricks. The righty, who has been out two weeks because of shoulder inflammation, could return to the Cubs’ rotation as early as the upcoming week. It’s possible Hendricks will skip a rehab start and slot back into the team’s starting staff Tuesday, per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. If that happens, the Cubs could get two Hendricks starts before the All-Star break. That would be a boon for NL Central-leading Chicago, whose rotation looks especially shaky at the moment without Hamels and Hendricks. Both starters have enjoyed terrific seasons thus far, with Hendricks having pitched to a 3.36 ERA/3.48 FIP and posted 7.64 K/9 against 1.63 BB/9 in 88 1/3 innings.
More on a few other injured notables…
- Rangers designated hitter/outfielder Hunter Pence will embark on a two-game minor league rehab stint beginning Monday, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. Barring setbacks, Pence will return to the Rangers on Wednesday. Pence has been out since June 17 with a right groin strain, but the stunning start the revived 36-year-old jumped out to before then earned him his fourth career All-Star nod. Thanks in no small part to Pence, who’s raking at a .294/.353/.608 clip (142 wRC+) with 15 home runs over 215 plate appearances, Texas owns a 46-37 record and a 1 1/2-game lead on the AL’s last wild-card spot.
- Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger won’t return until sometime after the All-Star break, manager Scott Servais announced Saturday (via Greg Johns of MLB.com). The Mariners had been hopeful Haniger would come back a bit before then, but the ruptured testicle he suffered June 6 will ultimately keep him out at least five weeks.
- Athletics closer Blake Treinen is on track to come off the IL on Wednesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com tweets. In the meantime, Treinen’s likely to pitch a rehab game Monday. The A’s placed Treinen on the shelf last Saturday with a right shoulder strain, continuing a disappointing campaign for the 30-year-old. Arguably the majors’ premier reliever in 2018, Treinen has recorded a pedestrian 4.08 ERA/4.11 FIP with 9.17 K/9, 5.35 BB/9 and a 43.2 percent groundball rate in 35 1/3 innings this season.
- Reds lefty Alex Wood has dealt with multiple setbacks in his recovery from a back injury, an issue that has stopped him from pitching in the majors this year. But he’ll make another attempt to progress toward a rehab assignment, Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer relays. Wood plans to throw off flat ground Sunday, and the Reds will determine his next step thereafter. “We’re keeping our fingers crossed, hopeful that it wasn’t too big of a setback for him,” manager David Bell said of the latest setback Wood suffered earlier this week.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Stroman, Astros, Harper, Pirates, Mets, Tulo
This week in baseball blogs…
- The Crawfish Boxes analyzes a potential Marcus Stroman acquisition for the Astros.
- Sports Info Solutions delves into Bryce Harper‘s decline against fastballs.
- The Point of Pittsburgh proposes a full rebuild with an eye toward the Pirates competing in 2022.
- Complete Game Loss weighs in on the bias that a player’s early season performance can create.
- Video Baseball Scout proposes nine fixes for the draft.
- Rising Apple ranks the greatest Mets trade deadline deals ever.
- Rox Pile revisits the Troy Tulowitzki trade between the Rockies and Blue Jays.
- Mayflies & Big Flies talks with Nationals catching prospect Tres Barrera.
- Chipalatta looks at what the Astros might do about Carlos Correa
- Call to the Pen predicts potential deadline targets for the Phillies.
- Rotisserie Duck takes a look at this season’s best players so far.
- Chin Music Baseball highlights the season’s most and least valuable pitches to date.
- Joker Mag interviews former major league pitcher Jim Morris, aka “The Rookie.”
- MLB & Fantasy Baseball Analyzed weighs in on the Tampa Bay/Montreal situation.
- Mets Daddy wants answers from the Wilpons.
- East Village Times asks what the Padres can do to improve their center field situation.
- Baseball Rabbi (podcast) discusses Montreal, Mike Trout and more.
- The Runner Sports profiles Astros righty Cy Sneed.
Submissions: ZachBBWI @gmail.com
Latest On White Sox Prospect Jake Burger
White Sox third base prospect Jake Burger didn’t play at all last year after tearing his left Achilles tendon twice, once in February and again in May. It turns out Burger will also miss this season, owing in part to a bruised left heel, general manager Rick Hahn told James Fegan of The Athletic and other reporters Friday.
The Burger news adds to a vicious week on the injury front for the White Sox, who also ruled injured pitchers Ryan Burr, Jimmy Lambert, Ian Hamilton and Zack Burdi out for the season Friday.
Like Burdi (No. 26, 2016), Burger joined the organization as a recent first-round pick. The White Sox selected Burger 11th overall in 2017 and then inked him for $3.7MM – almost $500K below slot – with the hope the ex-Missouri State standout would lock down third on the South Side for the foreseeable future.
The 23-year-old Burger could still emerge as a long-term building block in Chicago despite this injury-stunted start to his career. It may not happen at third, though, as Kiley McDaniel and Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs noted back in April he looked like a questionable fit for the position even before this awful run of left leg troubles. Nevertheless, McDaniel and Longenhagen ranked Burger 12th among the White Sox’s prospects and credited him with possessing a “sizable ceiling.” The Sox are hoping Burger will return for Arizona Fall League action this year and finally start showing off his potential in real games again.
Rangers Sign Austin Bibens-Dirkx
The Rangers have reunited with right-hander Austin Bibens-Dirkx on a minor league contract, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. Bibens-Dirkx will take the ball for their Triple-A affiliate in Nashville on Saturday.
The well-traveled Bibens-Dirkx was previously a member of the Rangers organization from 2016-18, but knee surgery last September helped hasten his departure. Texas outrighted Bibens-Dirkx in early November, leading him to pursue a free-agent opportunity with the Uni-President Lions of the Taiwan-based Chinese Professional Baseball League. The 34-year-old returned stateside earlier this month to tend to his pregnant wife.
While Bibens-Dirkx turned pro way back in 2006 when the Mariners drafted him in the 16th round, his lone major league experience has come with the Rangers. He put up a 5.27 ERA/5.63 FIP with 5.59 K/9 and 2.68 BB/9 over 114 1/3 innings with the club during the prior two seasons. Bibens-Dirkx has mostly served as a reliever in the majors, whereas the majority of his recent Triple-A frames have come as a starter. He owns a 5.25 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 across 466 career innings at the minors’ highest level.
Padres Designate Matt Wisler
The Padres announced that they’ve designated right-hander Matt Wisler for assignment. They’re replacing him on the 25-man roster with righty Robert Stock, who’s up from Triple-A El Paso.
Wisler’s in his second stint with the Padres, though his designation could once again lead him elsewhere. Formerly a well-regarded prospect, Wisler initially left the Padres in April 2015, when the Friars sent him to the Braves in a deal for closer Craig Kimbrel and outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. Wisler lasted into 2018 with the Braves, who traded him to the Reds in July to acquire outfielder Adam Duvall, before returning to San Diego this past April in a swap for righty Diomar Lopez.
Now 26 years old, Wisler saw his first action with the Padres this season before his DFA, logging an unimpressive 5.28 ERA over 29 innings and 21 appearances. Wisler has, however, posted a 4.11 FIP with 10.55 K/9, 3.1 BB/9 and a 43.4 percent groundball rate in the majors this year. Including his days with the Braves and Reds, Wisler has pitched to a 5.18 ERA/4.83 FIP with 6.74 K/9, 2.92 BB/9 and a 36.8 percent grounder rate in 367 big league frames.
AL East Notes: Stroman, Yankees, Voit, Rays, Castillo
Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman left his start against the Royals in the fifth inning Saturday with “discomfort,” Shi Davidi of Sportsnet tweets. Stroman’s final pitch – a two-seam fastball – clocked in at 89.5 mph, down about 3 mph from his typical velocity, per Davidi. While Stroman’s status isn’t yet known, a serious injury would be a rather unfortunate turn of events for Toronto leading up to the July 31 trade deadline. Stroman, if healthy, figures to end up as one of the best starters on the move over the next month. [UPDATE: Stroman has a left shoulder pectoral cramp, Scott Mitchell of TSN was among those to report. He won’t miss any time, manager Charlie Montoyo told Davidi and others.]
More from the AL East…
- Yankees first baseman Luke Voit exited the team’s London-based slugfest against Boston on Saturday with tightness in his core muscle, according to the Bombers (via ESPN.com). Voit told reporters (including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com) that he hopes to avoid the injured list, but the team will know more about his status Sunday. The 28-year-old collected four hits in as many attempts prior to his exit Saturday, upping his 2019 line to .280/.393/.509 (140 wRC+) with 17 home runs in 349 plate appearances. That would obviously be difficult production for the red-hot Yankees to lose, especially considering they may have just seen fellow slugger Giancarlo Stanton go down until at least August. The Yankees replaced Voit on Saturday with Gio Urshela and moved Urshela to third base for the sizzling DJ LeMahieu, who shifted to first.
- Sticking with the Yankees, ace righty Luis Severino is still at least five to seven days from throwing, George A. King III of the New York Post reports. Severino has been shelved for almost three months with a lat strain – an injury that’s 90 percent healed, according to King. However, Severino’s still battling some soreness in the area. There has been plenty of speculation about the Yankees acquiring a starter (perhaps Stroman) in the next month, but they’d likely benefit more from a healthy Severino than any other hurler they could land in the coming weeks.
- The Rays aren’t ruling out a return before the All-Star break for injured reliever Diego Castillo, manager Kevin Cash said Saturday (via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). The club placed Castillo on the IL last Sunday with right shoulder inflammation. That came on the heels of a few rough appearances for the flamethrowing Castillo, whose ERA was 2.05 as recently as June 11 but now sits at 3.93.
Pitcher Notes: Vazquez, Brewers, Luzardo, White Sox, Padres
The Brewers expressed interest in Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez last summer, though talks didn’t go anywhere, Robert Murray of The Athletic reports. The left-handed Vazquez would have teamed with Brewers southpaw Josh Hader and righty Jeremy Jeffress to form a nigh-unhittable relief trio on paper, perhaps one that could have pushed the club over the top in the National League. He remains a Pirate, though, and the Vazquez-less Brewers fell to the Dodgers in a seven-game NLCS last year. Milwaukee may call its division rival again this year about Vazquez (if the Brewers haven’t already), but it’ll continue to be incredibly difficult for anyone to pry him out of Pittsburgh.
- Rehabbing Athletics lefty Jesus Luzardo threw five innings and 66 pitches at the Triple-A level Thursday. He’ll extend to six innings and 90 pitches Tuesday, according to Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. The highly touted 21-year-old prospect hasn’t gotten to debut in the majors yet because of a shoulder strain he suffered late in the spring, but the hope is he’ll burst on the scene next month to bolster the playoff-contending A’s rotation. The club needs Luzardo’s assistance, having lost ace Frankie Montas to an 80-game performance-enhancing drug suspension a week ago.
- At 6 1/2 games back of a wild-card spot, the White Sox may be closer to playoff position than expected this season. However, general manager Rick Hahn unsurprisingly isn’t going to mortgage the future for short-term pitching help prior to the deadline, Bruce Levine of 670 The Score writes. Asked Friday about adding an established starter in the next month, Hahn said: “”I wouldn’t say you can count on additions at the deadline that will be short-term fixes. Our focus going to remain long term.” Hahn admitted Chicago “would like to add controllable starting pitching,” but he quickly noted that’s a goal for every team in the game. Below-average starting pitching has prevented the White Sox from making a more serious playoff push this year. While Lucas Giolito has been tremendous, the team hasn’t gotten respectable production from any of its other starters.
- Injured Padres reliever Aaron Loup will return in “late August, early September if things go well,” manager Andy Green said Friday (via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com). It’s clear this will go down as a mostly lost season for Loup, whom the Padres signed to a one-year, $1.2MM contract entering the campaign. The 31-year-old lefty has been on the injured list since April 9 because of a forearm strain. Loup was effective in a small sample of work before then, throwing 3 1/3 scoreless innings of two-hit ball with five strikeouts against one walk.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/28/19
Friday’s minor moves from around baseball…
- The Reds have released right-hander Nick Travieso, per Doug Gray of RedsMinorLeagues.com. This ends a long Reds tenure for Travieso, who had been a member of the organization since it selected him 14th overall in the 2012 draft. As Gray explains, though, the 25-year-old Travieso’s velocity hasn’t returned to previous levels since shoulder issues kept him out of action from the end of the 2016 campaign until earlier this season. Travieso threw just three innings in rookie ball this year before the Reds said goodbye to him.
- Orioles lefty Sean Gilmartin has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk, the team announced. The Orioles designated Gilmartin for assignment Tuesday after he gave up five earned runs in 2 1/3 innings during his lone major league start of 2019. The 29-year-old has been far better this season in Norfolk, where he has pitched to a 2.48 ERA/2.83 FIP with 9.91 K/9, 2.72 BB/9 and a 47.9 percent groundball rate in 36 1/3 innings and 17 appearances (two starts).
Cubs To Place Cole Hamels On Injured List
Cubs southpaw Cole Hamels exited his start Friday with a left oblique strain, manager Joe Maddon told Jordan Bastian of MLB.com and other reporters. The severity of the injury won’t be known until Hamels undergoes an MRI, but he will go on the injured list, according to Maddon.
Oblique issues often lead to weeks-long absences, which is one of the last thing the Cubs need in this instance. The Cubs are already without their top starter, Kyle Hendricks, who hasn’t pitched since June 14 because of shoulder inflammation and may not return until after the All-Star break. Beyond that, Chicago’s rotation hasn’t gotten great performances from the established trio of Jon Lester, Jose Quintana and Yu Darvish.
With their starters not firing on all cylinders this year, the Cubs are sitting a somewhat disappointing 44-38, though they do hold a half-game lead over the second-place Brewers in the NL Central. The Cubs lost for the 11th time in 18 games Friday, when Hamels lasted a mere one inning against the Reds. The 35-year-old was amid yet another quality season before suffering his oblique strain, as evidenced by a 2.98 ERA/3.56 FIP with 8.76 K/9, 3.16 BB/9 and a 51.1 percent groundball rate in 99 2/3 innings.
Hamels’ injury could certainly affect the Cubs’ plans leading up to the July 31 trade deadline. For now, though, they’ll have to make do with in-house arms after Lester, Quintana and Darvish. Tyler Chatwood and prospect Adbert Alzolay have each started games of late, though neither righty has soaked up many innings in those showings. The Cubs also have experienced lefty swingman Mike Montgomery, who replaced Hamels on Friday, but he has posted surprisingly subpar numbers this year and hasn’t thrown more than 2 1/3 innings in a game since May 9. Otherwise, the Cubs may have to dip into the minors if they want to find a Hamels replacement from within.