There are seemingly limitless options for the Phillies when it comes to their 2026 outfield construction.
The team seems intent on moving on from Nick Castellanos, despite his $20 million price tag next season. They seem interested in bringing back Harrison Bader, who is a free agent and currently weighing his options. They could also take the in-house route and hand the keys to an outfield spot to prospect Justin Crawford, who had a big year in the minors in 2025.
There is also the possibility of a monster splash, with Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker each out there looking for big paydays.
But what about the trade market?
According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo, Astros outfielder Jake Meyers could be an under-the-radar target and fit for Philly, which has a murky centerfield situation at the moment:
The Astros are open to moving him for a controllable major-league starter, according to people briefed on their discussions. And the interest in Meyers entering his age-30 campaign is considerable, other clubs say.
The Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets and Rays are among the teams exploring upgrades in center field, along with the Orioles, Arizona Diamondbacks and Kansas City Royals. Meyers is an excellent defender. But if the Astros are skeptical of him replicating his offensive performance, they perhaps could get similar production from Zach Cole and/or Jacob Melton. [The Athletic]
The word “considerable” is certainly interesting, especially if it’s pertaining to the Phillies. Let’s first talk about fit, and then talk about price.
Meyers took a huge leap in his fifth MLB season, slashing .292/.354/.373. He played exclusively in center last season, but only in 104 games as a calf injury plagued him for much of the year. He does not hit for much power, with 33 career homers and just three last year. Is his offense too much of a question mark for a Phillies team that has had issues with outfield production? His career average is just .243 and there is not much track record of him swinging an above-average bat.
A controllable major-league starter is reportedly Houston’s desired compensation. Meyers is probably not nearly enough of a prize for top pitching prospects Andrew Painter and Gage Wood to be included in a deal. And Taijuan Walker is not controllable after 2026. If a mid-tier prospect can work, Moises Chace, Jean Cabrera or Alex McFarlane could be trade offerings from the Phillies, but none has a body of major league work.
The fit isn’t great. And the Phils don’t exactly have a controllable MLB starting pitcher they can part with.
Still, Rosenthal and Woo deemed this worthy of a mention, and the Phillies were the first team they listed in the Meyers section of his most recent free agent update. The MLB’s Winter Meetings are this coming weekend and anything could happen.
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