The Padres are known to be among the teams with serious interest in free-agent first baseman Eric Hosmer. One complicating factor would seem to be that the Padres already have an impact first baseman in the person of Wil Myers, who's going into the second year of an $83 million contract. On that front, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports has some relevant news ...
Padres star Wil Myers has approved a potential move to the outfield in case San Diego signs free-agent star Eric Hosmer, the latest sign the Padres consider themselves a serious player for Hosmer.
Myers was recently called by Padres, team sources say, and he didn't hesitate; the highest paid player in team history will not stand in the way for more Padres progress.
So there goes that dilemma. Myers, who will soon turn 27, has spent more than 1,700 innings in the outfield in his career, including 39 starts in center. He is still relatively young and has some speed, so it's no stretch to ask Myers to resume manning an outfield corner on a regular basis. That, of course, would clear a path for Hosmer.
Speaking of Hosmer, there's strong reason to suspect that he'll be overpaid this offseason, but at the same time he would help improve the Padres' roster. The Padres are of course also one of the finalists for Shohei Ohtani. If general manager A.J. Preller is able to land one or both of those free agents, then you'll see some enthusiasm surrounding the Padres heading into 2018. For his part, Myers is trying to help make it happen.
