Inside the Astros

Houston Astros Among ‘Final Race’ for All-Star

The Houston Astros are among the final teams waiting to trade for the Tampa Bay Rays first baseman.

Dylan Sanders

Jul 13, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz (2) hits an rbi double against the Cleveland Guardians in the third inning at Tropicana Field.
Jul 13, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz (2) hits an rbi double against the Cleveland Guardians in the third inning at Tropicana Field. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
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The Houston Astros have made it to the final stretch of teams trying to trade for an All-Star at first base.

According to insider Francys Romero, Houston is joined by the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners as the teams that are in the race for Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz.

Diaz would be an ideal addition to the team and could be the piece to push the Astros over the edge in the playoff race.

Houston first basemen have produced a lowly slashing line of just .206/.275/.323 this season, making it clear why the team has been chasing an upgrade.

The Tampa Bay slugger is slashing .270/.326/.397 this year, making him a better option in almost every sense.

While he doesn't hit for a ton of power, he makes up for it by not striking out a ton and making great contact. He made his first All-Star game last season when he led the league in batting average in .297.

If the Astros lose out on Diaz, their options would be nearly depleted given the other first basemen that have already been on the move.

Seattle already took one player in Justin Turner. Josh Bell was recently moved to the Arizona Diamondbacks and Isaac Paredes went to the Chicago Cubs.

This trade deadline hasn't been a complete failure on the part of Houston, given the addition of expensive starter Yusei Kikuchi, but it would certainly be disappointing if they don't improve at all at first base.

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Dylan Sanders
DYLAN SANDERS

Dylan Sanders graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication in 2023. He was born in raised in Baton Rouge, LA but has also lived in Buffalo, NY. Though he is a recent graduate, he has been writing about sports since he was in high school, covering different sports from baseball to football. While in college, he wrote for the school paper The Reveille and for 247Sports. He was able cover championships in football, baseball and women's basketball during his time at LSU. He has also spent a few years covering the NFL draft and every day activities of the New Orleans Saints. He is a Senior Writer at Inside the Marlins and will also be found across Sports Illustrated's baseball sites as a contributing writer. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram @dillysanders

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