Houston Astros Could Solve First Base Issue With Trade for Veteran All-Star

The Houston Astros could bring in a veteran All-Star to play first base this offseason.

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The Houston Astros head into the offseason coming off their earliest playoff exit in close to a decade after being eliminated by the Detroit Tigers in the Wild Card round that ended their streak of seven consecutive ALCS appearances.

When it comes to figuring out how to fix things and where they might need to make acquisitions, one of the positions they have to start with is first base.

They didn't get horrible production from a platoon featuring Jon Singleton, Victor Caratini, and Mauricio Dubón, but bringing in someone who can play the position every day and become a net positive in the lineup should be one of the top priorities of the offseason for Houston.

The St. Louis Cardinals made headlines at the annual GM meetings when it was revealed that three-time All-Star catcher Willson Contreras would be switching to first base role with younger options behind him at catcher.

As the Cardinals appear set to begin a salary shedding rebuild, perhaps they could instead send Contreras to the Astros where he could play a combination of first base, catcher, and designated hitter.

Will Leitch of MLB.com named Houston as a possibility for Contreras after they narrowly missed out on signing him two years ago before he went to St. Louis.

"If made available, Contreras would instantly become one of the best upgrades in the sport -- a catcher who can rake, is better behind the plate than he’s given credit for and, don’t forget, a World Series champion and intense competitor," Leitch wrote. "His bat plays anywhere, regardless. San Diego would be a lovely place for him to land, as would Houston, a team he almost signed with rather than the Cardinals in the first place."

Contreras would probably take some time to warm up to the first base position if Houston truly wanted to make him their every day option, but his bat would more than make up for any growing pains in the field.

2024 was a rough season for the veteran, as he only played in 84 games due to injury issues, but he was still effective with an .848 OPS when he was on the field.

If the Astros want to get creative, making a move for Contreras would certainly be just that.

Something they would have to overcome is the slugger saying he will no waive his no-trade clause, complicating the matter, but if that changes over the course of this winter, then Houston should be interested in making this deal.