Guardians must avoid trading for newly available Astros breakout star

For the first four seasons of Jake Meyers’ MLB career, he was a serviceable outfielder for the Houston Astros who was overshadowed by some of the biggest names on the team’s roster. 

But that changed in 2025 when Meyers had a solid breakout season where he slashed .292/.354/.373 with three home runs and 24 RBI in 104 games. While his power numbers took a bit of a hit from years prior, he came within one hit of tying his total from 2024 (101) despite playing in 44 less games. 

And, according to a new report from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo, he’s available in trade talks for the right price. 

On Monday morning, Rosenthal and Woo put together a trade rumors notebook and wrote that the Astros are “are open to moving him for a controllable major-league starter, according to people briefed on their discussions.” 

While the Guardians weren’t among the teams the duo listed as interested in Meyers, he’d still be a solid fit in Cleveland given the team’s struggles in center field. 

The Guardians should stay away from Jake Meyers in trade talks

It can’t be overstated how important Meyers was for the Astros in 2025. After entering the season with a career OPS+ of 85, he got off to an electric start and hit .308 through the first 89 games of the season before going on the injured list with a calf strain. He ended up returning in September but couldn’t help push the Astros into the postseason. 

Now it seems like he could be on the outs in Houston thanks to the presence of young outfielders Zach Cole or Jacob Melton, both of whom made their MLB debuts last season. 

MLB Trade Rumors projected Meyers’ contract for 2026 to be $3.5 million in his second year of arbitration, so he wouldn’t be an incredibly pricey option.  But it’s also worth wondering if he’s the best option for the Guardians. 

There’s no denying Meyers is a great defender (95th percentile in Outs Above Average in 2025) but he entered last season with a career OPS+ of 85. 

It would be one thing if he was a free agent, but it wouldn't be worth it if the Guardians needed to trade one of their young starting pitchers like Joey Cantillo or Parker Messick, especially when guys like Harrison Bader or Austin Jays are available in free agency. 

Rosenthal and Woo listed The Phillies, Mets, Rays, Orioles, Diamondbacks and Royals as teams “exploring upgrades in center field,” and all of them make sense as potential suitors for Meyers. 

While the Guardians have the pitching capital to beat almost all those teams in a trade, Meyers doesn’t make a ton of sense for the Guardians as a trade target.