More Than Familiar Faces: Why The Padres Turned To Will Myers And Bud Black

The San Diego Padres are bringing backmost 2 acquainted faces to thief boost nan organization’s beforehand agency and subordinate improvement departments.

Former All-Star Will Myers will return arsenic a typical duty coach successful subordinate development, while 2010 National League Manager of nan Year Bud Black will subordinate nan beforehand agency arsenic an advisor to shot operations.

Each move makes consciousness fixed San Diego’s existent situation. The workplace strategy is astatine its lowest constituent complete nan past 5 seasons, pinch conscionable 1 Top 100 imaginable and thinning extent passim nan minors.

Financially, nan Padres are besides astatine a stalemate. Having personification pinch Black’s acquisition should thief wide head A.J. Preller find imaginative ways to amended nan roster without exceeding nan budget.

For Myers, nan fresh arsenic a subordinate improvement master is simply a earthy one. The 11-year seasoned whitethorn person had a roller-coaster career, but if there’s 1 point he understands, it’s really to create arsenic a young star.

Before making his MLB debut pinch nan Tampa Bay Rays successful 2013, Myers was classed nan No. 1 imaginable successful nan statement and consistently placed among nan apical 5 prospects successful shot by aggregate outlets.

That position was validated during his rookie season, erstwhile he won American League Rookie of nan Year and helped lead nan Rays to an ALDS appearance. Myers deed 13 location runs, drove successful 53, and posted an .831 OPS, becoming Tampa Bay’s 3rd Rookie of nan Year successful a six-year span from 2008 to 2013 (Evan Longoria successful 2008 and Jeremy Hellickson successful 2011).

In San Diego, Myers ne'er took nan leap to stardom, but he still provided stableness successful nan mediate of nan lineup for astir a decade. His tenure arsenic a Padre was highlighted by a 2016 All-Star selection, during which he deed 28 location runs and stole 28 bases, a 30-home tally play successful 2017, and postseason appearances successful 2020 and 2022.

As for Black, his clip successful San Diego was little glamorous. He grounded to grounds a azygous playoff quality crossed 8½ seasons pinch nan club. Despite nan deficiency of postseason success, however, Black is wide regarded arsenic a savvy shot mind tin of outperforming expectations.

He recorded 5 top-five Manager of nan Year finishes betwixt his clip successful San Diego and Colorado, including winning nan grant successful 2010 contempt nan 90-72 Padres missing nan postseason.

Notably, Black besides played collegiate shot for San Diego State University from 1978-1979. His return to San Diego for nan last shape of his profession makes him a steward of shot successful nan city.  

The Padres will request immoderate of Black’s “do nan champion pinch what you’ve got” mentality, arsenic nan statement has small to nary money near to walk successful free agency.

Between Preller’s aggressiveness and Black’s crafty approach, nan Padres’ could person immoderate intriguing moves successful store.