The Royals continue to be attached to several outfielders during the Winter Meetings as they look to upgrade their outfield. The latest reports indicate they are looking at Astros outfielder Jake Meyers, who enjoyed a career season in 2025.
Brian McTaggart of MLB.com writes the Royals are one of a number of teams interested in the 29-year-old.
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.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic echoes the Royals’ interest, suggesting that Kris Bubic could be offered to the Astros.
Of course, the Astros are another club operating on multiple fronts, exploring a trade for Tampa Bay Rays righty Shane Baz and offering center fielder Jake Meyers for other starters. They have spoken to the Pittsburgh Pirates about righty Mike Burrows, but those talks may have cooled since the Pirates acquired outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia from the Red Sox. The Kansas City Royals, dangling lefty Kris Bubic, are another possibility for Meyers, but they are exploring numerous other outfield possibilities as well.
Meyers has spent the last five years with the Astros, but was underwhelming with the bat until this year. He hit .292/.354/.373 with three home runs and 16 steals in 381 plate appearances, and was worth 2.4 rWAR. He posted a career-best walk rate of 8.1 percent, while cutting his strikeout rate to 17.6 percent. He did benefit from a .353 BABIP, in contrast to a .263 BABIP in 2024, when he hit .219/.286/.360. While he won’t hit for much power, he did smack 13 home runs in 2024, eight of which were hit in Minute Maid Park.
Meyers has always been a good defender in centerfield. He was a Gold Glove finalist in 2024 and was 13th among all outfielders in Outs Above Average this year. He has very good sprint speed, and stole a career-high 16 bases this year, getting caught five times.
Meyers is eligible for arbitration and is projected to earn $3.5 million next season. He will be under club control two more seasons before he reaches free agency.
The Astros are looking for starting pitching to cushion the blow of losing free agent ace Framber Valdez. Bubic would be a high upside arm to allow them to make a postseason push next year, but his injury concerns could give Houston pause. Houston is shopping Meyers because many feel rookie Zach Cole could take over centerfield for them next year.
Meyers could represent an offensive upgrade over Kyle Isbel in center, but if the plan is to put him in left, that gives the Royals two elite defenders who could be subpar with the bat. Meyers still has upside, but his high BABIP numbers suggest major regression in 2026. He would still have a lot of value, but with the Royals so starved for offense, he may not be a great fit, particularly if the return is a high-upside arm like Kris Bubic.
