Astros may regret the Jacob Melton trade after revealing comments from Rays top exec

As the Houston Astros round out their offseason, the one box that has been left unchecked is adding an impact, left-hand-hitting outfielder to the mix to balance out the lineup and give the club some added flexibility.

The Astros hoped they had found one of those in Jesus Sanchez, but the trade deadline acquisition proved to be a major disappointment, and is now someone the club is looking to move off from in order to shave payroll.

Having a player who fits that bill and can also play above-average defense in center field would be a boon and would allow the club to capitalize on Jake Meyers' breakout 2025 before it proves to be a mirage.

If only they had such a player on their roster. Well, maybe they did, but they had to surrender him when they sent Jacob Melton to the Tampa Bay Rays in order to acquire Mike Burrows in the three-team deal that also included the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander's comments about Jacob Melton might make the Astros regret their choice

Melton was one of Houston's very top prospects at the time of the trade, and while his short big league stint was both upended by injury and filled with disappointment, he raked at Triple-A Sugar Land last season, posting a .286/.389/.556 line.

The Rays view the lefty-swinging Melton as a potential 20-homer and 40-steal star who can also play outstanding defense at all three outfield positions. Rays top dog Erik Neander believes that Melton could become a core player for them for the next decade and couldn't help but gush over what the future may hold.

“I think he learned a lot from that initial Major League experience,” Neander said. “He does so much with his legs and defensively, and there's power, that it does take a lot of pressure off of his bat to produce at a really high level. I think that's going to afford him a lot of at-bats to develop on the offensive side, because of just how good he is in those other areas.”

That certainly sounds like arriving as a five-tool player could be in the Astros' 2022 second-round pick's future. And while Burrows is a nice get, he's far from a sure thing himself with only 99.1 career big league innings under his belt.

If there's a silver lining to soften the blow, it's that Houston has a similar talent in Zach Cole, who wowed in a 15-game cup of coffee, posting an .880 OPS with four homers. Cole also bats from the left side, giving the potential for the balance the Astros so desperately seek.

However, while Cole has power, speed, and defensive chops like Melton, there is a difference. Melton struck out just 20% of the time in Sugar Land while posting a stellar 14.7% walk rate. Throughout his minor league career, patience and some control over the Ks have been part of his skillset.

Cole, meanwhile, has struggled mightily with the whiffs. He spent the bulk of his 2025 campaign down at Double-A Corpus Christi, where he posted a ghastly 36.3% strikeout rate. For much of his professional career, Cole has gone down by the K at least 30% of the time, sometimes inching closer toward a 40% mark.

It certainly seems like the Astros took their surplus and gave away the superior player. If Burrows becomes a frontline starter and Cole can get the whiffs in check, it might not matter, even if Melton still proves to be the superior outfielder. But if Burrows falters, this could be a deal where the Astros end up kicking themselves in the long run.