Houston Astros Predicted To Trade for Former No. 3 Overall Pick in Offseason

The Houston Astros could potentially fix their first base issues with the Chicago White Sox slugger.

Sep 16, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Chicago White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn (25) rounds the bases on a triple in the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

If the Houston Astros make one move during the offseason, it should be for a first baseman.

While the pitching staff will also need to be addressed, the struggles of the first basemen on the roster over the past 18 months have been a major concern.

With the postseason approaching, there's a chance the Astros will lose a series or games along the way because of their issues at the position. 

If the front office wants to get creative, they could look to sign one of the top first basemen on the market. There will be a few, but some could also land sizeable contracts. 

If they want to save money, which wouldn't necessarily be the worst idea, there will be trade options for them to do as such.

On Wednesday, Zachary Rotman of FanSided predicted they'd do just that.

Rotman predicted that Houston would trade for first baseman Andrew Vaughn, who was selected with the No. 3 pick in the 2019 MLB draft. 

"Andrew Vaughn has spent his four MLB seasons with the White Sox after being taken with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft. While he hasn't quite lived up to the hype that comes with being taken third overall, Vaughn is a decent first baseman who might really pop elsewhere... Vaughn is under club control through the 2026 season and should come relatively cheap financially and in a potential trade. A team like the Houston Astros who could use help at first base and will likely want a player on the cheaper side could easily express interest in a player like Vaughn. The Crawford Boxes could allow him to really break out power-wise."

Vaughn hasn't necessarily lived up to all of the hype he had coming out of college, but he's still been a serviceable professional in his young career.

He's posted a career slash line of .254/.311/.417 with 71 home runs in 2,022 at-bats.

If he shows that power a bit more, he could hit 25-plus home runs in any given season.

However, given that he's still just 26 years old and won't be a free agent until 2027, the Astros could be making a wise decision by going after him.

Why not give the youngster a chance?

He's hit at least 15 home runs in each of his first four campaigns, which shows that, while the power hasn't played as it was expected to, there's still a lot in the tank.

If he goes to a hitter-friendly ballpark like Minute Maid, that power could play even more.