For the most part, everything seems to be going right for the Cincinnati Reds at the moment. They are in the midst of an impressive winning streak, Joey Votto is back from injury, and top prospect Elly De La Cruz looks like a future star. On Tuesday, however, the Reds designated former San Diego Padres All-Star Wil Myers for assignment, per the Reds' Twitter.
Upon returning from his injury rehab assignment, Myers was DFA'd by the ball club. The move is surprising for a number of reasons despite his struggles in 2023.
Reds DFA Wil Myers
Myers made the 2016 NL All-Star team with the Padres. That season, he ultimately hit .259 with a .797 OPS and 28 home runs. He followed that campaign up by crushing 30 homers in 2017. Although he didn't make the All-Star team in '17, Myers still played an impactful role for the Padres.
Article Continues BelowHowever, he dealt with underperformance and injuries following the 2017 season. After hitting free agency in 2022, Myers signed with the Reds. Cincinnati wasn't expected to contend so many people thought Myers would be a prime trade candidate ahead of the deadline with a bounce back season. Instead, the Reds have played well but Myers has not.
He's currently hitting .189/.257/.283 with a .541 OPS and just three home runs. Nevertheless, there will likely be teams interested in adding Wil Myers. He's still only 32-years old and features a fairly high-ceiling. Teams wouldn't need to spend much to add him, so it would be a low-risk, high-reward move.
That said, the Reds' decision is surprising. One would have imagined they would keep him for a bit longer and see if he could turn things around. If not, Myers could have been packaged as part of a deal ahead of the trade deadline.
The Reds will look to continue playing an impressive brand of baseball as the 2023 season rolls on. Meanwhile, Wil Myers will try to revitalize his career elsewhere.