By Conrad Clowers
Cincinnati Herald Contributor
One of many things that upset Reds fans and followers this past off season was the Reds not going after big name talent to put on the roster. The stage was already set for a modest payroll. The team knew they wanted to get a veteran that could fit within the payroll structure to add pop to the lineup. Cincinnati zeroed in on and signed Will Myers.
Myers has a solid MLB history. He played with the Tampa Rays in ’13 and ’14 before going to san Diego to play with the Padres for the next eight seasons. His best season in San Diego was 2016 where he would hit 28 home runs and drive in 94 runs. That was followed up with a 30 home run season ands 74 RBI’s in 2017. After that the former Padres stars numbers had tapered off. In his final season in San Diego last year Myers would only see action in 77 games. The 32 year old had seen his best days behind him.
Growing up Myers was a star. The Carolina native attended Wesleyan Christian Academy. He started his roots in the area of pitching. Myers even posted a record his junior year of 10-0. The future Red was recruited in high school and eventually signed with the University of South Carolina. Myers would ultimately be drafted by the Kansas City Royals.
Thus far being in a Reds uniform has had more lowlights than highlights. The new Reds acquisition went on the injury list at the end of April for a neck injury. Seeing action in right field, Myers had only hit 3 home runs with 10 RBI’s hitting only .213. Cincinnati is a young team. The hope for the club was that veterans Will Myers and Joey Votto would spearhead a young team into career years that would become contagious. Cincinnati has managed to stay out of the basement of the division.
At present, the team is 13-19 and just ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central.
For Myers it may be hard to be an influence from the injured list. The 32-year-old can be a force when healthy. It may be hard to adjust when you’ve been on the other side of the United States for the past 8 years playing baseball. For Myers, he has 6 million incentives to get healthy and be the veteran presence he has shown he can be. At this point the Reds need that more than anything.
