As baseball’s second half opened Friday, the reality of the Padres’ present returned to the foreground.

Petco Park had been shorn of the bells and whistles that accompanied a successful All-Star Game. Left-hander Drew Pomeranz, who represented the hosts in the national showcase, was headed to join his new team, the Boston Red Sox. Another big-market power occupied an especially menacing role in the visiting dugout. Dating back to September, the San Francisco Giants had won nine straight against San Diego.

Yet, a little more than two weeks from the Aug. 1 trade deadline, the Padres were not devoid of momentum. Amid a deliberate retreat at the major league level, this season’s breakout star has envisioned a brighter future, with him a part of it.

First baseman Wil Myers and the Padres have yet to discuss the possibility of a contract extension, but it appears that day is approaching.


“I love being here,” Myers said Friday afternoon inside Petco’s home clubhouse. “I do really, truly believe that (General Manager) A.J. Preller has a plan for the future, and that’s a big deal when it comes to extension talks. I love everything about (Manager) Andy Green, what he’s done here. I think he’s going to be a great manager. As far as being here long-term, I could see myself doing it. I could see trying to build something here.”

Preller, who traded highly regarded prospects Joe Ross and Trea Turner to acquire Myers two Decembers ago, confirmed there is mutual interest.

“You always want to hear players that want to be in your franchise, that want to be in your city, and I think that’s exciting to hear,” Preller said. “He’s a big-time talent and, I think, is excited by this franchise, this place, and wants to be here. When we made the trade, that’s what we were looking for.

“He’s now been with three organizations the last three years or so. From that standpoint, when we made the deal, it was for him to get comfortable here and start to show his ability and let his talent play. You need guys like that if you’re going to be successful as a franchise. He’s a guy that can impact the game, can change the game, and those are the kind of guys we’re trying to get here long-term.”


Myers, 25, has rebounded from two injury-ridden seasons to make himself a favorite for the Comeback Player of the Year Award. He entered Friday leading all major league first baseman in Wins Above Replacement, having hit .286 with 19 home runs and 15 steals. Earlier this week, he participated in the Home Run Derby and played alongside Pomeranz in his first All-Star Game, for which Myers was an official ambassador.

Rival clubs are aware Myers is the rare player the Padres refuse to include in trade talks.

The 2013 American League Rookie of the Year’s stock has spiked at a convenient juncture. Myers, currently making $523,900, will be eligible for salary arbitration next year. He is not scheduled to reach free agency until the 2019-20 offseason.

For 2017, the Padres currently have $35 million committed to two players, outfielders Matt Kemp and Melvin Upton Jr. They will owe a combined $13 million for two others they traded, right-hander James Shields (if he does not opt out of his contract) and infielder Jedd Gyorko.


Both Myers and Preller made it clear they have no intent to begin discussions before the end of this season.

“I don’t think anybody would ever be opposed to talking about money, but as far as that’s concerned, I want to go out every day and just play,” Myers said. “I don’t want to worry about extension talk, I don’t want to worry about money. I just want to go out and worry about each at-bat I have. ... Obviously, we’ll listen to anything, but when that time comes up, we can discuss it then.”

“Not in the second half but definitely in the offseason, we want to look at it and say, ‘OK, is there something here we want to present to make him a long-term Padre?’” Preller said. “I think we’ll obviously talk about it with the front-office group and ownership; it’s an ownership decision, too. But I think his play in the first half has led to a point where that’s a discussion, something to start considering, and see where it goes.”

In recent weeks, the Padres’ actions have signaled an unmistakable shift in organizational direction. Pomeranz was the third established major leaguer dealt this season, and more change looms on the horizon. Meanwhile, ownership has given Preller unprecedented spending power in the international market.


Peter Seidler, the Padres’ managing partner, has publicly acknowledged that the club is unlikely to contend before 2019.

“I love San Diego. I love every part of it. Obviously, winning is more important to me, being a competitor,” said Myers, who played in the postseason as a rookie. “It is tougher to play games that aren’t as meaningful, but I really believe that the Padres have a legitimate plan in place. I think what they’ve done this season is going to lead to something special in the future.

“They’re spending a lot of money, and that’s what the Royals (Myers’ first organization) did from ’07 to 2012. They signed a bunch of players, they drafted great players, they spent money on the draft. I think that’s kind of the model that mid-market teams need to go after, and I think that’s what we’re doing here. And I think it’s going to be a great thing for us coming up in the future, and hopefully I can be around for that.”

× Wil Myers talks about hitting home runs before the home run derby.