Houston Astros Again Linked to Potential Pete Alonso Trade with Mets
The Houston Astros have become one of the hottest teams in baseball. They have won seven straight games and have evened up their record at 40-40.
Prior to the winning streak, the Astros were starting to become a team that analysts thought could be sellers ahead of the MLB trade deadline next month. Now, they're beginning to look like potential buyers.
Dana Brown, Houston's general manager, may have to consider getting aggressive. If his team is going to continue playing this hot, a big trade could push them into serious contention.
Plenty of potential trade targets have been mentioned for the Astros. One of the more intriguing names that has come up is New York Mets' slugging first baseman Pete Alonso.
Although the connection between Alonso and Houston had gone relatively quiet, a new link has been made between the two.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic mentioned that the Mets seem more likely to keep Alonso than trade him due to their recent resurgence. However, he also mentioned that New York could still move him if they're blown away by an offer. The Astros were one of the teams that he mentioned as a possibility.
"However, after they jumped back into the wild-card race, execs now feel it’s more unlikely than likely that they’ll trade Alonso, unless they are overwhelmed with a trade offer from a team such as the Astros or Mariners."
Alonso would certainly fit in with Houston if the team were to acquire him.
Right now, the Astros could use an upgrade at first base. They could also use more pop in their lineup. Alonso would check both of those boxes.
During the 2024 season so far, Alonso has played in 77 games. He has hit .241/.326/.465 to go along with 16 home runs and 43 RBI. Those numbers would be a welcome sight in the Houston lineup.
Obviously, the biggest question becomes, would the Astros be interested in a potential half-year rental?
Looking ahead to the upcoming offseason, the 29-year-old slugger is set to hit free agency. Houston could look to re-sign him long-term, but there is no guarantee that the two sides would get something done.
Those are the big questions that the Astros will need to answer. If they're willing to take a risk in order to compete this season, pursuing a blockbuster trade for Alonso would make a lot of sense.
EVAN MASSEY
Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst who covers both the NFL and NBA. He has worked for ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, NFLAnalysis.net, NBAAnalysis.net, and many other publications. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son.