Jacob

Melton

Williams and Melton are viewed as long-term building blocks up the middle for Tampa Bay. The pair of top prospects will open the season back in the upper minors with veterans Taylor Walls and Cedric Mullins starting at shortstop and center field, respectively. Williams is a phenomenal defender but his power/speed combo is muted somewhat by persistent contact issues that have followed him throughout his ascent. Melton came over from the Astros as part of the Brandon Lowe three-team deal in the offseason and shouldn’t have to wait too long for an everyday opportunity with the Rays.

It’s still early in spring training, so there is no real cause for concern with Simpson being sidelined. However, his main attribute is speed, so any lingering hamstring soreness would be a major wrench in his value to both the Rays and fantasy managers. The Rays also added Cedric Mullins, Jacob Melton, Justyn-Henry Malloy, and Jake Fraley this offseason, so Simpson is not guaranteed a spot in this outfield.

Yohan Ramírez put a slider on a tee for him, and Melton treated it exactly like he should have. The assumption has been that Melton is starting the season in the minors, since he’s behind Cedric Mullins on the depth chart in center, but the Rays’ situations in the corners are weak enough that Melton should be a threat for a starting spot with a strong spring. He’s the team’s second-most intriguing outfielder for fantasy purposes, and he’s probably a better overall player than Chandler Simpson.

The crown jewel of Tampa Bay’s prospect haul from the Astros as part of a three-team swap that also included the Pirates, Melton struggled in his first taste of the big leagues this past season during a brief 32-game cameo where he batted .157 (11-for-70) with 29 strikeouts. Still, the Rays clearly view the 25-year-old as their long-term answer in center field, with veteran Cedric Mullins signed to a one-year deal as a temporary bridge. Neander added that Melton is not terribly far off and will have an opportunity to compete for a spot on the Rays’ season-opening roster next spring. He boasts an enticing power-speed profile for fantasy purposes and his immediate path to playing time feels more likely in the outfield corners which are occupied by Chandler Simpson and Josh Lowe for now. The move to Tampa Bay offering a clean reset — positioning him as a potential core piece of a younger roster rather than a fringe component behind Houston’s veteran-heavy group. He checks in as a borderline top-100 dynasty outfielder with the athleticism and upside to take a meaningful leap if everything clicks in spring training.

Melton made his MLB debut and struggled to a .420 OPS over 70 at-bats, but was solid in Triple-A with a .286/.389/.556 slash over 35 games. The 2022 second-round pick should get a chance to compete for a role with Tampa Bay this spring, but fantasy managers should wait to see how things shake out before investing. There’s definitely some upside in keeper formats.

The framework of the finalized deal is the same that was reported earlier on Friday. Mike Burrows will be heading from the Pirates to the Astros, Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum and Mason Montgomery will go from the Rays to the Pirates while Jacob Melton and Anderson Brito will go from the Astros to the Rays. The Astros have been inquiring on Burrows for a while now and was an obvious target of theirs to upgrade their starting rotation. The 26-year-old right-hander posted a 3.94 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and a 97/31 K/BB ratio over 96 innings in 23 appearances (19 starts) for the Pirates in 2025.

Alex Stumpf of MLB.com and Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com report that the deal is done, pending medicals. The Astros would be receiving Burrows from the Pirates in the proposed deal while Lowe would head to the Pirates along with Jake Mangum and Mason Montgomery. Melton and Anderson Brito would move from the Astros to the Rays in the massive swap. From the Pirates’ perspective, they will add one of the best power-hitting second basemen in the game. While there’s more work to be done, it’s a nice step forward to legitimize their lineup.

Melton returns to Houston for Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Angels with Jeremy Peña officially hitting the injured list with an oblique strain.

With Jake Meyers returning from the injured list on Saturday, there simply was no longer room available for Melton on the team’s bench. The 24-year-old outfielder has hit .149/.219/.179 with zero homers, seven RBI and six stolen bases in 74 plate appearances at the big league level this season.

Meyers is 4-for-18 with five walks in six rehab games. He’s played center field four times and DH’d twice. The Astros might activate him in Jacob Melton’s spot this weekend.