Jake Meyers Rumored to Be Royals Target at Winter Meetings

[Kevin O'Brien]

On Monday evening, Brian McTaggart, a Houston Astros beat writer for MLB.com, wrote that the Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati Reds are two teams that have been talking with the Astros during the Winter Meetings about acquiring outfielder Jake Meyers. 

Meyers is coming off one of the best seasons of his career in 2025, making him a candidate for a more extended role with another team next season.

In 104 games and 381 plate appearances, the University of Nebraska product hit .292 with a 107 wRC+. He also hit three home runs, stole 16 bases, and accumulated a fWAR of 2.3, a career-high. Meyers doesn't offer a whole lot of power, and his batted-ball metrics are a bit questionable. However, he shows strong plate discipline (0.46 BB/K ratio) and strong contact ability, as seen below in his TJ Stats summary from last season.

Though he hits right-handed, Meyers actually had reverse splits last season. Against lefties, he posted a 0.27 BB/K ratio and 93 wRC+ in 71 plate appearances. Against righties, he posted a 0.50 BB/K ratio and 111 wRC+. Over his career, however, he has a 110 wRC+ against lefties and an 85 wRC+ against righties, so 2025 may have been an aberration. 

If acquired, the 29-year-old outfielder would likely split time in centerfield with Kyle Isbel, who has a career 64 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers. However, Isbel has cemented his place as the Royals' primary center fielder over the past three seasons due to his excellent defense. He posted a +12 OAA and +10 FRV last season, which earned him a nod as a Gold Glove finalist. 

Meyers offers the same defensive upside. Last year, he posted a +9 OAA and +8 FRV. He also posted OAA and FRV of +13 and +11, respectively, in 2024. Thus, the defense in centerfield wouldn't miss a beat with Meyers. 

McTaggart mentioned that the Astros are looking to acquire young starting pitching this offseason. Kris Bubic appears to be an early target for Houston, and could be part of a deal involving Meyers.

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(Dana) Brown wouldn’t address the Meyers rumor specifically, but sources say the White Sox, Dodgers, Reds and Royals are interested in the 29-year-old who’s under team control for two more seasons. The Royals would like to add an outfielder, and All-Star lefty Kris Bubic is perhaps their likeliest trade candidate.

While Bubic is coming off an injury and is a free agent after 2026, the Astros may need to throw something else in a trade package with Meyers to solidify a deal with Kansas City. Bubic made his first All-Star team last year and posted a 2.55 ERA, 2.89 FIP, and 3.3 fWAR in 116.1 IP before his season ended due to a shoulder injury. 

A straight-up trade of Meyers for Bubic may be light on the Royals' end, so it will be interesting to see what talks develop between Houston and Kansas City over the coming days in Orlando. 

Photo Credit: © Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

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