He has literally the best bat speed in the world and has 95th percentile baserunning value. He has a singular flaw in that he swings and misses way way too much. But he is a tweak away from being one of the 5 most valuable players in the league and he will be in the league for a long time even if it’s just as a bench player.
I think the Red Sox and Astros enter the season without a mutual deal. Both teams seem intent on holding strong and testing out their lineups.
I will be very surprised if Houston makes a major trade before opening day. If they do make a trade I think it will involved Meyers or Sanchez rather than Walker or Paredes. Abreu is probably a dark horse trade candidate given he is a pending free agent.
This team, as constructed can not afford to trade an MLB bat without getting an MLB bat in return. There simply aren't 13 established MLB hitters. The only way Meyers or Sanchez get moved is if this team has another OF who can play regularly and provide above average run production to replace him.
Meyers and Sanchez both have established floors that ensure they are 90% likely to be at least MLB rather than AAA level players. If Meyers is traded without getting another player back who can play CF, then Zach Cole, Brice Matthews (9 total pro games), Taylor Trammell, and Jesus Sanchez are the only guys above AA who have played CF. If Sanchez is traded, without getting a LH OF to replace him then Yordan, Zach Cole, and Taylor Trammell are the only ones above AA. The team went into the offseason stating that strengthening the OF, especially the L/R balance was a major goal. Instead they would actually be weaker than they were on October 1st.
Yeah, I believe they will keep Sanchez because be is a LHH. I also think Sanchez could win the RF spot. It was rumored the Astros put Meyers OTB this offseason because they believe that strongly in Cole. They also seem intent to get Matthews on the roster. The Astros may view Meyers as expendable.
That was when they had Melton which gave them an additional dice roll. Now, if they trade him and do not get one back in return, a converted infielder with only 9 pro games at the position ( who also was unable to stay on the roster last year) and a AAAA journeyman would be the only backups. This is why Duran or W.Abreu fit so well. Another option would be Nootbar but he needs to show he's healthy. St Louis would also want younger, cheaper, players with more control. Also, with the Mets trading for Robert, where is Jake's market?
The Mets could play Robert in LF where he’d actually not be a defensive liability. Meyers would also represent a CF upgrade for the Brewers, Phillies, Tigers, Reds, Diamondbacks, Royals, and Angels. Meyers’ injury history and varied offensive track record don’t give him much floor. He will have very high defensive value but there’s no guarantee he will provide plus offense. I have been a big proponent of his (I might actually have been one of the very first people on the Internet to predict he’d become an everyday caliber CF), but as he approaches free agency and becomes much less likely to break out further than he already has, it makes sense to move on from him if they get a decent return. The offensive dropoff from Meyers to Trammell (if Cole and Matthews bust) isn’t that steep, and that doesn’t factor in the possibility of Cam Smith playing CF. Another aspect of trading Meyers is that it clears $3.5M; that is enough to go sign a backup C or another decent RP, so that should be factored into whatever return Houston might get for him.
To be clear, I have also been a proponent of Jake's for years, but actually wish the Astros would trade him. But only if another CF capable player is brought in. Unless that happens CF and the OF in general is extremely weak (so weak that Meyers improves it substantially) especially if reports about Yordan and Altuve getting minimal play in LF play out to be true.
