Astros insider thinks Houston could shockingly shake up outfield at trade deadline

Everyone seems to agree that the Houston Astros could really shake things up at the trade deadline. Houston continues to be connected to a potential trade for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and names like Pete Alonso and Cody Bellinger have made the rounds on the rumor mill as well. While nothing appears close, it sure looks like the Astros could make waves in the next couple of weeks.

However, that raises the question of who could be departing the organization to actually get a deal done. There are any number of permutations of prospects that could get sent out of town depending on the deal, but there are some other trades that may only be possible if the Astros' trade partner(s) get big league talent in return.

According to Astros beat writer Brian McTaggart, that could mean that Houston could make a pretty shocking move to include outfielder Jake Meyers in a trade at the deadline.

Houston Astros trading Jake Meyers makes more sense than you think

On the surface, the Astros moving struggling outfielder Chas McCormick would be more desirable from their end. As infuriating as Meyers can be at the plate, McCormick has been strictly worse this season in all aspects, while Meyers still has tremendous value as a defender. If Houston can find a team that values McCormick highly, he could be a fine trade chip.

However, McTaggert correctly points out that, between the two players, Meyers actually has the higher trade value right now due to his high floor, given his defensive excellence and extra year of team control over McCormick. There are plenty of scenarios where including Meyers instead of McCormick (or Joey Loperfido, who the Astros definitely should NOT trade) actually makes more sense.

Moreover, moving Meyers now may just be objectively wise. Again, he is a top-flight defender in center, but the fact remains that Meyers remains woefully inconsistent at the plate and the 109 wRC+ he has posted this season could actually represent a "sell high" opportunity for Houston, which would be preferable to standing pat and letting him turn back into a pumpkin again.

More Astros News from Climbing Tal's Hill