In drastic departure from business as usual, Reds DFA outfielder Wil Myers

In a rather surprising turn of events, the Cincinnati Reds have designated Wil Myers for assignment.

The Reds and Myers agreed to terms on a one-year contract during the offseason, and it was assumed that the former San Diego Padres outfielder would be the team's everyday right fielder following the departure of Aristides Aquino.

Unfortunately for Myers, he struggled early and often. A stint on the IL due to kidney stones and later a shoulder injury saw him away from the team since May 23rd. Since that time, the Reds have seen Matt McLain and Elly De La Cruz transform into everyday regulars and Joey Votto return to the lineup.

Unexpected Reds roster move sees Wil Myers DFA'd.

Wil Myers was hitting just .189/.257/.284 with only three home runs and 12 RBIs. Myers was expected, after inking a $7.5-million deal last winter, to be a key cog in the middle of the Cincinnati Reds lineup in the absence of Joey Votto.

But it wasn't to be. The normally tight-fisted Cincinnati ownership obviously signed off on the this transaction. And rather than giving Myers a couple weeks to work out the flaws in his swing, the Reds are moving on without him. Unless another squad claims Myers off waivers, the Reds will be on the hook for the entirety of his 2023 salary.

Over the past year, the Cincinnati Reds have basically thrown away $30-million worth of salary on the duo of Myers and former infielder Mike Moustakas. The Reds also released Shogo Akiyama last spring with one year and $8-million left on his deal.

This is sharp departure from the way Cincinnati normally does business, as the team would usually ride with a struggling player until the wheels come off and eventually trade him at the deadline to the highest bidder.

The Reds no longer need to worry about how to finagle the 26-man roster upon Myers' return from the IL. It had been speculated for a few days now that once Votto returned to the Reds, that perhaps Will Benson, Stuart Fairchild, or even Kevin Newman could be optioned to Triple-A.

For now, that issue is off the table. However, once Hunter Greene's spot in the rotation comes up, the Cincinnati front office will need to make another transaction. Greene was placed on the 15-day IL on Monday with a hip injury. The Reds, in turn, reinstated Votto from the 60-day IL and are now carrying 14 position players.

The Cincinnati Reds now have 10 days to trade Wil Myers or release him. While it didn't work out for the former All-Star during his abbreviated stay in the Queen City, perhaps Myers can latch on with another squad and attempt to recapture some of that power that he had during his tenure with the Padres.