Timorous Tobias

Tobias Kane Myers was born on August 5, 1998 in Winter Haven, Florida. Growing up, his favorite player was, sigh, Derek Jeter. A young Tobias would go to Cleveland’s Winter Haven spring training home whenever the Yankees were in town. He attended Winter Haven High School, just like Trey Mancini. It was there where his baseball talent became apparent. In 69.2 innings, Myers struck 79 batters out. He agreed to attend the University of South Florida, but the Baltimore Orioles selected him in the sixth round of the 2016 MLB Draft. Myers signed on with the Orioles for $225,000. 

He wouldn’t be with them for very long. At the 2017 trading deadline, Myers was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Tim Beckham. Over 12 starts that season, he went 4-2 with a 3.54 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. In 2018 with the Single-A Bowling Green Hot Rods, Tobias went 10-6 with a 3.71 ERA in 23 contests. 

Myers climbed the ladder ever so slowly in 2019 when he was promoted to the High-A Charlotte Stone Crabs. He went 8-1 with a 2.31 ERA in 18 games, but he only struck out 59 batters in 84.2 frames. Like most other minor leaguers, Myers didn’t play a single game in 2020.

For 2021, Myers was promoted once again, this time to the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits. After ten starts with a 3.32 ERA, he got called up to Triple-A with the Durham Bulls. In 12 starts with the Bulls, Myers pitched to a 4.50 ERA, but his strike out rate went up - he collected 65 punch outs in 58 innings of work. 

On November 19, 2021, Myers was traded again, this time to the Cleveland Guardians for Junior Caminero. Unfortunately for Tobias, this has proven so far to be one of those trades the Rays are famous for, in that they clearly won the swap. Caminero was an All-Star last season, hitting 52 home runs for Tampa. 

Myers was, let’s face it, God awful in 2022 with Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate the Columbus Clippers. In 18 starts he went 1-9 with a 6.00 ERA. The Guardians designated him for assignment. On July 7th, the San Francisco Giants took a chance on Myers, acquiring him for cash considerations. After making two appearances for their Triple-A club, Myers was DFA’d on July 31st. Two days later, Myers was claimed off waivers by the Chicago White Sox. Myers made it until September 19th before the White Sox released him.

On November 22, 2022, Myers got a lifeline: he signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. He spent the 2023 year with the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers and Triple-A Nashville Sounds. He went 10-5 with a 4.93 ERA at those two levels, striking out 175 in 140.2 innings. 

On April 23, 2024, Myers made his debut appearance in The Show. Off the first pitch he threw in the big leagues, Andrew McCutcheon hit a home run. Welcome, kid. Tobias bounced back though. In 25 starts for the Brew Crew, Myers went 9-6 with a 3.00 ERA (3.91 FIP), striking out 127 in 138 innings of work. Myers succeeded mixing a four-seamer (41%) with a cutter (23%), a slider (21%), a change (11%), and the occasional curve (4%). Tobias was trusted enough to start the deciding Game 3 of the Wild Card Series against the Mets. He threw five shutout innings and allowed just two measly hits. 

Myers started the 2025 campaign on the 15-day IL with a left oblique strain. He struggled after he was activated and was demoted back to Triple-A Nashville for awhile. Overall, in 22 appearances (6 starts), Tobias pitched to a 3.55 ERA and a nearly identical FIP from the year before (3.92). He only struck out 38 batters in 50.2 innings while allowing 54 hits. The good news is he was a lot better after he returned to the big leagues. From July 23rd until the end of the regular season, Myers had a 2.64 ERA (3.49 FIP) in 30.2 innings of work, fanning 23 and walking just five. The oblique injury clearly impacted him even after he was activated. Tobias pretty much got rid of his change-up and curve and focused on his four-seam (45%), cutter (19%), slider (17%), and added a splitter to his repertoire (16%). 

Last week, Myers, along with Freddy Peralta were traded away to the New York Mets for Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams. Tobias will probably act as a swingman, a hybrid multi-inning reliever and spot starter - it’s always useful to have at least one of those at your disposal. 

According to the Brewers media guide, Myers enjoys “golf, pickleball, the beach, and Netflix”. In December 2024, he married a woman named Leah. The other day, he celebrated the trade by getting a Mets cake.

Freddy Peralta will be introduced as a Met during a Zoom this afternoon at 2pm ET. Did Peralta not earn the Citi Field press conference treatment because he was a trade acquisition? Or is he not as marquee of a name as Bo Bichette? I spend too much time wondering where the threshold is.

After a Twitter user tagged Steve Cohen in a tweet about Met uniforms, Cohen responded by quipping it must be a good sign that Met fans are complaining about uniforms and not the team. Hardy har. 

Carlos Mendoza appeared on Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman’s The Show. 

OF/1B Ryan Clifford, 3B/1B Jacob Reimer, RHP Jack Wenninger, SS Elian Peña, and SS Wandy Asigen were all anointed by MLB Pipeline as guys who might make their Top 100 prospect list next.

Old chum Harrison Bader signed a two-year, $20.5 million contract with the Giants.

Keith Law revealed that the Mets are trying to teach Jonah Tong either a slider or sweeper. 

OF A.J. Ewing, who made the Top 100 prospect list, bragged about being able to Dougie. He also vibes to George Michael (and Drake, still.)

David Wright defended a fellow David, David Stearns, saying fans should give Stearns and Cohen a chance. 

Mark Vientos was introduced as a member of Nicaragua’s World Baseball Classic team.