An Astros-Phillies trade to fix Philadelphia’s biggest weakness

The Houston Astros are one of the more intriguing teams to watch ahead of the 2024 MLB trade deadline. Houston has struggled this year, but Baseball Reference still gives them a 33 percent chance at making the playoffs.

With Houston stuck in the middle of the idea of buying and selling, there's one current player on the option that they should move, no matter if they decide to buy or sell: Jake Meyers.

You can make sense of trading Jake Meyers with one name: Joey Loperfido.

Loperfido, Houston's fifth-ranked prospect, is currently in the big leagues but isn't getting consistent playing time as he sits behind Meyers. Loperfido is an Astros outfielder of the future and Houston needs to clear the way to let him thrive in center field for them.

The Phillies would be a perfect match, as mentioned by Jon Morosi, to take on the high ceiling trade for Jake Meyers. Philadelphia certainly has the prospect capital to make the deal happen too.

A Phillies-Astros trade for Jake Meyers that equally benefits both sides

Philadelphia's biggest (and maybe only) hole in their roster is in the outfield. They are going to need to look for a controllable outfielder that can come in and make a difference for them with the bat.

That's exactly what Meyers could do. He's under team control through 2027 and is currently slashing an impressive .263/.328/.431, while playing a valuable position in center field.

The Astros have no need to deal Meyers, but Philadelphia definitely has a need to trade for him. So, if this package seems like a bit much for the Phillies to give up, it's because they would probably have to slightly overpay for 3.5 years of Meyers.

For Houston, this is a dream come true of a trade. They grab three of the Phillies top-30 prospects and clear the way for Loperfido to man centerfield on a consistent basis. Win-win for the Astros.

For Philadelphia, they have a loaded farm system. They would be acquiring a controllable, consistent outfielder to help push them towards a World Series while keeping all of their top-100 prospects. Not a bad deal for them, considering their farm system is loaded.

Rincon, 20, is their third-ranked shortstop in the Phillies farm system. He will likely fall behind Aidan Miller and Starlyn Caba as the three climb the minor league ladder. He's a defensive first shortstop, while Miller and Caba project as better hitters.

De La Cruz is a freak of nature outfielder, listed at 6-8, 210 pounds. He has a ton of raw power but it hasn't exactly translated to the Double-A level yet.

Possibly the diamond in the rough of this trade is the pitcher, George Klassen. Listed as the team's 28th-ranked prospect due to his projected command issues, Klassen has outplayed that ranking this season by quite a large margin. He's made nine starts, holding a sub-1.00 ERA. The righty with the electric fastball has struck out 57 hitters in 38 innings.

Losing this package certainly wouldn't be ideal for the Phillies, but 2024 is their chance to finally take home the World Series championship. Meyers would be a huge upgrade in the outfield and if they can acquire a controllable piece like him, they would be foolish not to.