Astros’ list of suitors for a Jake Meyers trade just keeps getting longer and longer

The Houston Astros don't have a surplus of talent in many places on the roster. That isn't to say that the club doesn't have its stars, but behind them, the depth is light. However, one area where the team might have a glut is in center field. That's good news, too, because the center field market is particularly weak this offseason.

Lost in the shuffle among breakout performances by Hunter Brown and Jeremy Peña was Jake Meyers' standout 2025 campaign. Part of Meyers being overshadowed had to do with the nearly two months he missed with a calf injury. The other part had to do with questions over sustainability.

As good as Myers looked with his .292/.354/.373 line, many underlying metrics such as hard hit rate, barrel percentage, and average exit velo all ranked in the bottom third of the league, making it questionable how sustainable his outburst truly is. Beyond that, the 29-year-old has a long history of being a well-below-average bat.

With youngsters Zach Cole and Jacob Melton bringing higher ceilings and left-handed balance to the lineup, Meyers is the rare expendable piece on Houston's roster. It's a good thing, too, because the suitors are lining up.

Astros could (and perhaps should) capitalize on a growing list of teams that could be interested in Jake Meyers

The idea of trading Meyers isn't a new one, but his July injury torpedoed any chance the Astros had at making a deal. It might be for the best, though. The center field market was weak to begin with, and that was before Trent Grisham returned to the New York Yankees via the qualifying offer.

The best free-agent options now are Cody Bellinger, whose contract demands will eliminate most teams from contention and hasn't regularly roamed center since 2022, and Harrison Bader, who is coming off a good year but is essentially an older and more expensive version of Meyers.

Meanwhile, the list of clubs that could use a true center fielder is long. Contenders like the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays, and Baltimore Orioles could all use upgrades. The Mets also have a left field vacancy and have come out and stated that run prevention is a chief concern for them.

Others could jump into the mix, as well. The Kansas City Royals are two other clubs that are rumored to be in the market for a new outfield captain. An intra-division trade is hard, but the Los Angeles Angels know Mike Trout's days in center are behind him and saw this past season that Jo Adell isn't a real option there. The Los Angeles Dodgers' vacancy is in left field, but for a defensive wizard like Meyers, perhaps they'd consider moving Andy Pages to left to support adding Meyers.

The list of suitors seems nearly endless, making this a prime opportunity to take advantage of supply and demand. Moreover, Meyers is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to make just $3.5 million in arbitration, further increasing his trade value.

There's always the chance that if Houston holds on to Meyers, he'll regress back to his prior form as a solid glove and subpar bat; therefore, this is a classic case of sell high while you can.

The Astros might not get the top-of-the-rotation arm they crave back in exchange for him, but whatever they can get will certainly be worlds better than what trading him would've yielded a year ago. Now, they just need to capitalize.