Should Astros Seek Center Field Upgrade by Signing This Yankees Free Agent?

There is risk in every signing, but this New York Yankees free agent might carry more risk for the Houston Astros.

Detail photo of Houston Astros spring training cap. during workouts at spring training. | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

By waiving Chas McCormick, the Houston Astros removed one of their options at center field for 2026. So, it’s Jake Meyers’ job now, right?

Well, he has the average for the job. Meyers slashed .292/.354/.373 in 2025. But he doesn’t have the power, or at least he didn’t last season. He slammed just three home runs in 104 games. His career high is 13, set in 2024. The Astros could seek an upgrade at the position in free agency.

Finding the right fit in Houston isn’t easy, even with the inviting Crawford Boxes in left field. The expansive center field demands a quality center fielder. The best one on the free agent market is New York Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham. Per MLB Trade Rumors he is the No. 18 free agent on the market and one of the site’s analysts believes he’ll land in Houston.

But the question is whether the Astros should sign him? That depends on which Grisham shows up.

Trent Grisham As an Astros Fit

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Defensively, Grisham is a no-brainer. He won two Gold Gloves while he was with the San Diego Padres in 2020 and 2022. Up until 2025, he had a positive fielding run value at baseball savant. That fell to minus-3 in 2025. In his Gold Glove season in 2022 he was plus-13 in outs above average. With the Yankees this season he had a .993 fielding percentage and two errors. He has the wheels to cover center field.

It's the offense the Astros must scrutinize before agreeing to what MLBTR believes would be a four-year, $66 million deal that comes with a $16.5 million average annual value.

Grisham — who was traded along with Juan Soto before the 2024 season — was a beast offensively for New York in 2025. He slashed .235/.348/.464 with an .811 OPS, including 34 home runs and 74 RBI. He had a career season by a wide margin, and that’s the problem if one is projecting into the future on that kind of contract.

Before 2025 he had never hit more than 17 home runs in a season, which was in 2022. His career high for RBI was 62 in 2021. From 2022-24 his slash was terrible — .196/.308/.361 across those three seasons with a 2.2 bWAR, 22 home runs and 81 RBI.

His offensive spike was unexpected and helped propel the Yankees to the American League Silver Slugger award as a team. So, was 2025 a breakthrough season or an outlier? In other words, if the Astros make that kind of financial commitment, will be they be setting themselves up for another Jose Abreu kind of contract?

That’s the question Houston must ask and answer if it wants to bring Grisham to Space City.