The Astros have mentioned numerous commerce eventualities involving heart fielder Jake Meyers with different golf equipment over the previous couple weeks, reports Jon Morosi of MLB Community. The 27-year-old just isn’t but arbitration-eligible and has 4 years of membership management remaining. He’d be arb-eligible subsequent offseason.
Meyers is nominally atop the Astros depth chart in heart subject, although he took on a extra restricted position late within the yr because the Astros gave Yordan Alvarez and a wholesome Michael Brantley extra time in left subject and pushed Chas McCormick into heart subject obligation with larger regularity. All-Star Kyle Tucker, after all, has proper subject locked down in Houston.
Brantley’s potential departure in free company thins out Houston’s outfield combine a bit, though the versatile Mauricio Dubon absolutely performed his method into extra reps within the outfield with a strong exhibiting on the plate in 2023 — .278/.309/.411 — a lot of it at second base in lieu of Jose Altuve when the All-Star endured a number of IL stints. With Altuve again from the injured listing, Dubon spent the majority of his time in heart subject late within the season, splitting time there with McCormick.
Meyers impressed as a 25-year-old rookie in 2021, hitting .260/.323/.438 in 163 journeys to the plate and exhibiting off robust defensive expertise, however his penchant for strikeouts was all the time a purple flag. A shoulder harm suffered in the course of the 2021 postseason finally required surgical procedure to restore his labrum, and Meyers’ 2022 season on the plate was nightmarish, to say the least. In his first yr again from that process, he tallied simply 160 MLB plate appearances and batted .227/.269/.313. His 2023 marketing campaign was higher, however nonetheless not near his 2021 ranges. In 341 journeys to the plate, Meyers hit .227/.296/.382.
To Meyers’ credit score, he stays a stellar defender within the outfield, and his observe file within the higher minors is superb. In 1499 profession innings patrolling heart subject, he’s been credited with 12 Defensive Runs Saved and 20 Outs Above Common. Statcast pegs his vary within the ninety fifth percentile of MLB outfielders and his dash velocity within the 92nd percentile of all MLB gamers. In 474 Triple-A plate appearances, he carries a stout .330/.407/.556 batting line. Even within the huge leagues, the place his general offensive output is subpar, he’s hit lefties at a high quality .270/.316/.444 clip.
On the very least, Meyers may have attraction to different groups as a platoon possibility in heart subject, with standout glovework and an above-average bat towards left-handed pitching. And, at 27 years of age, he should be younger sufficient that different golf equipment really feel he may faucet into the offensive potential he’s displayed in Triple-A and emerge as a viable on a regular basis possibility in heart.
Even when Meyers is considered as “solely” a glove-first, fleet-footed fourth outfielder who’s greatest deployed in platoon conditions, that ought to nonetheless maintain worth to different golf equipment — notably with 4 years of membership management remaining and a pre-arbitration wage that’ll clock in simply barely north of the league minimal subsequent season. The Giants are searching for extra vary of their outfield, as an illustration. The Twins may welcome an inexpensive various to free agent Michael A. Taylor. The D-backs have an all left-handed outfield. The Rays are discussing Manuel Margot with different golf equipment — the Yankees and Mets amongst them — and Meyers gives the same talent set at a fraction of the worth.
Whereas an enormous return shouldn’t be anticipated within the occasion that the Astros do finally strike up a deal, Meyers’ velocity, protection at a premium place, manufacturing towards lefties and pre-arbitration standing are all interesting to varied levels.
