Due to numbers crunch, Dane Myers optioned to Triple-A

Dane Myers has grown a lot since joining the Marlins last season. A converted pitcher who started playing third base in 2019 and the outfield in 2021, Myers joined Miami in December 2022 via the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft.

Upon his signing, Myers was assigned to Double-A Pensacola. There, with the Blue Wahoos, Myers hit a robust .291/.395/.489. His .895 OPS in those 49 games was some the best and most sustained success Myers had ever come by in his career at the plate. A promotion to Triple-A Jacksonville led to even more success for Myers. There, he hit .339/.417/.516. In between his two AAA stints, Myers received his first two big league call ups. In 22 games with Miami, he hit .269/.286/.358. He ended the year as a member of the big league team.

Myers came to Marlins camp this spring needing to impress to have a chance of being back in the big league outfield to start 2024. He did. Receiving regular playing time (17 games), Myers went 14-for-34 with three home runs, including a walk off home run. He also added two doubles. Some of the established MLB hurlers Myers was able to have success against included José Quintana and Hunter Harvey.

Despite getting a long look and impressing while doing so, Myers fell victim to a numbers crunch and will start 2024 in the minors. The Marlins announced on Friday afternoon that Myers had been optioned to AAA Jacksonville. Main reasons for Myers' exclusion include new acquisitions Nick Gordon and Vidal Brujan, both of whom are out of options. With the rest of the outfield healthy, seemingly Myers' only way onto the roster would have been if they optioned Bryan De La Cruz who has a longer track record of MLB success.

According to manager Skip Schumaker, Myers showed the necessary results to make the team and under different circumstances, he would have.

"This was the toughest decision of anybody in camp. He played his tail off and he did it the right way; he competed and honestly deserved to make the team. There's no sugarcoating it," Schumaker said. "The way the roster is right now, he was just unfortunately the guy that couldn't make the team."

Schumaker, whose transparency is one of the many reasons he has earned the respect of the Marlins' clubhouse, stated the conversation was difficult due to limited reasons he was able to provide Myers for the roster move.

"Usually, you have something to say to these guys when they get sent down for whatever they did in spring or why they didn't make it. I didn't really have too much other than we just didn't have a spot for him. And that's a tough thing to hear because he did everything he could."

As far as how soon we may see Myers back with the Marlins, Schumaker said Myers has earned the right to be the "next man up."

"He will be the first guy called up no matter what because he's so valuable in the flexibility of the outfield," Schumaker said. "He has played some infield, the at-bats have been so good, baserunning, the whole deal."

In receiving the news, Myers was disappointed, but has no doubt that he belongs in the majors.

"It was just kind of the way the roster worked out, there wasn't a spot for me, which I understand, but I think I deserve to be on the team," Myers said. "I think if you don't think that way, you're not thinking the right way. I'll just keep doing my work, keep pressing the door down and try to make it back up soon."

"I would like to think something that adds value to me is playing on the infield and the outfield. So I've still worked on all the positions and I hope throughout the year, I can play them all."

Myers turned 28 on March 8. He projects to see everyday playing time with the Jumbo Shrimp, primarily as the team's starting center fielder.