NY Mets rumors: Astros trade candidate Jake Meyers fits the theme of the offseason

There are never any new names to enter the discussion when it comes to New York Mets rumors as far as what they can add goes. They’ve set themselves up well to have even more trade candidates, though. The addition of Bo Bichette makes their infielders even more expendable than they were a week ago.

In the early stages of the offseason, Houston Astros center fielder Jake Meyers was a known Mets trade target. Trading him was originally thought of as a way to improve their rotation. The Astros have accomplished this so maybe he’s not so available any longer.

Based on some of the offseason additions the Mets have made, we can come to a conclusion that Meyers might have been a preferred choice. An incredible 24 OAA as a center fielder when you combine his totals from the last two seasons, he’s a quick-footed player who reached a new level as an offensive player last year. Batting .292 with a .354 OBP, it’s the style of player more than the results that seems to match what the Mets have already done to remake their roster.

Jake Meyers is a master at preventing runs and improving his contact

Meyers was in the 72nd percentile in K% last year, just a little ahead of Francisco Lindor who was at 70%. His whiff rate in the 71st percentile and chase rate in the 79th percentile compliment them well. He was a contact hitter for sure and someone who’d put the ball in play for the Mets regularly.

The three major players added to the Mets lineup fit the K% theme. Marcus Semien was in the 74th percentile last year. Jorge Polanco was in the 83rd percentile. Bo Bichette was in the 86th percentile. All of them have some pretty good power potential as well. Meyers is further behind but makes up for it with his 95th percentile in OAA. He has been consistent across the board there in his career.

Offense has not been Meyers’ strength, hitting below .230 in each of the previous three seasons. Last year’s results may even be a bit misleading because he missed significant time in the middle of the year. Add in those at-bats, do they fall?

Meyers seemed to swap some power for average last year. His 0.8% home run rate was well below the 2.1% lifetime for him. On the Mets roster, he’d be hitting ninth anyway.

Meyers is a little redundant with Tyrone Taylor as they do a lot of the same things well. Offensively, however, Meyers put together a much different season in 2025 than we could ever expect from Taylor.

In piecing together their final outfield addition, the Mets will have a tough time finding a player who puts the bat on the ball as well as Meyers did last year. Harrison Bader was in the 12th percentile in K%. Brenton Doyle was in the 22nd percentile and so was free agent target Austin Hays. Even the often-mentioned Luis Robert Jr. goes against this offensive grain, following in the 19th percentile.

It takes more than putting the ball in play to be a Mets match. Jeff McNeil remained one of the best at dodging strikeouts last year and they sent him packing. But they’ve also replaced him with players who can carry on that legacy.

The Mets have a “type” they’re looking for. We thought it was going to be gifted defenders. So far, it has been guys who make use of their bats and can pop a few dingers. Meyers has done both at times in his career, just never together. If there’s someone they’d probably like to get on the trade block most, it’s him.