Astros’ latest decision just emphasized their inexcusable Jake Meyers failure

There were just so many signs that the Houston Astros should have sold high on Jake Meyers when they had the chance. For years, Meyers was seemingly on the trade market as a glove-first outfielder who couldn't hit. Once he started hitting last year against all odds, it felt like the day that Houston would finally trade Meyer was coming. Instead, the offseason came and went, and any talk of moving Meyers was completely gone.

Fast forward to today, and the cost of the Astros' hesitance is clear. Not only was Meyers putting up the worst offensive season of his career (and that is saying something), but Houston put the nail in the coffin of Meyers' trade value by optioning him to Triple-A.

Astros' failure to trade Jake Meyers is almost unforgivable

Common sense tells you that when you have a guy with no power to speak of and who is coming off three straight seasons with a sub-90 wRC+, you can't expect one breakout season to stick. The underlying data was always a little suspect with Meyers' bat, so that Houston decided to double down on their bet on Meyers instead of moving him when he actually had trade value is baffling.

That said, this might not all be on the Astros. Yes, Meyers' wRC+ dipping to a career-low 62 after he put up a 107 mark in 2025 might have been somewhat predictable, but it isn't like there weren't trade rumors around Meyers last offseason. The Phillies seemed interested at one point, and there was chatter that most expected Houston to trade him. However, as the weeks went by, it seemed like talks petered out. It is possible that the Astros were just asking for too much, or teams just weren't fully buying Meyers' offensive turnaround.

Whatever happened, Dana Brown seems to have hit the wrong note every time when it comes to Meyers. The Astros stubbornly held on to Meyers when he couldn't hit a lick, and then when it looked like that time investment was finally going to pay off, Houston kept him yet again, and now Meyers is back in the minor leagues with next to no trade value. This was a misstep, and a big one, no matter how you look at it. Now, it looks like the Astros are stuck with Meyers' ghost while wondering what they could have gotten in return had they handled things differently.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow