Houston Astros Predicted to Acquire a Star First Baseman During Trade Deadline

The Houston Astros were predicted to make a massive move during the trade deadline.

Aug 1, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown speaks with media before the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Minute Maid Park. / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Dana Brown and the Houston Astros have some difficult decisions to make in the next week with the trade deadline approaching. After struggling for much of the year, the Astros have gotten back on track in a big way, putting themselves in a position to win the division and possibly another World Series.

Despite playing better over the past two months, there are areas this team can improve. Most importantly, Houston should be in the mix to land a starting pitcher or two. Even if they add two arms who could just eat innings in the regular season and be serviceable, it could go a long way.

Their playoff rotation might already be set, but with some of their top five dealing with injuries, it's best to be smart and help them out with others who can throw when needed.

On top of that need, there have been plenty of rumors about them targeting a first baseman. They haven't found a perfect replacement for Jose Abreu after releasing him, and there's a chance that there'll be decent ones available during the deadline.

Pete Alonso and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have been linked to the Astros in recent months. However, it's uncertain if either will get traded. Alonso is on a New York Mets team that's in a position to make the postseason, and the Toronto Blue Jays certainly don't have any pressure to trade their young slugger.

That didn't stop Chandler Rome of The Athletic from predicting that the team would land a star first baseman at the deadline.

"Astros owner Jim Crane covets superstars. He has engineered two deadline trades for Justin Verlander and he gave the final push to acquire Zack Greinke in 2019. Houston does not have the prospect capital to pull off another blockbuster.

"With Crane involved, it sometimes doesn’t matter. The Astros should be prioritizing pitching, but if Crane wants Pete Alonso or Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to fix his mistake of signing José Abreu, general manager Dana Brown may have to make it happen."

If they walked out of the deadline with Guerrero or Alonso, it'd likely be viewed as the biggest deal around baseball. Not only would they be the biggest names dealt, but the fact that they'd land with a team like Houston would make it an even bigger deal.

They can't go wrong with either player, as both of them have arguments to be the top power-hitting first basemen in baseball. Time will only tell if Brown has it in him to land one of them.