Padres first baseman Wil Myers said he would be fine moving to the outfield if the club were to sign free agent first baseman Eric Hosmer, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports.
Myers, 26, played mostly in the outfield with the Rays in 2013-14 and didn’t start seriously playing first base until 2016 with the Padres. Defensive metrics have generally painted Myers as a below average defender in the outfield and above average at first base, so the Padres would be losing a bit by making the switch.
Heyman suggests the Padres have been among the “prime pursuers” of Hosmer, but notes that Hosmer may get a contract well into the nine figures. Myers signed the biggest contract in Padres history earlier this year, a six-year, $83 million extension. Adding Hosmer would likely require the Padres to loosen the purse strings more than ever before.
Last season, Myers hit .243/.328/.464 with 30 home runs, 74 RBI, 80 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases in 649 plate appearances. With the Royals, Hosmer hit .318/.385/.498 with 25 home runs, 94 RBI, and 98 runs scored in 671 trips to the plate.