Houston Astros Should Have This Star on Their Offseason Wish List

The Houston Astros should without question place this star on their offseason wish list.

Mar 15, 2022; West Palm Beach, FL, USA; A general view of a Houston Astros cap on the field during spring training work outs at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros look the part of a potential contender in the American League with the regular season winding down quickly.

With a 77-67 record, they currently have a 4.5-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the AL West entering Wednesday.

Despite going through a ton of injury issues and adversity, the Astros have stayed together and found ways to win.

While they have had an impressive year to stay in playoff contention, there are quite a few areas Houston needs to improve upon before the next campaign.

In the upcoming offseason, there is a very good chance the Astros will be aggressive.

One area Houston could look to improve is at first base. There is one option that would be a perfect fit either via trade or in free agency depending on the situation.

Cody Bellinger has the option to opt-out of his current contract with the Chicago Cubs and test free agency. No one knows what to expect regarding what his decision will end up being.

Some think he will opt-out, while others are expecting him to stick around for at least one more year with the Cubs.

Either way, the Astros should have interest in finding a way to acquire him.

Adding a talent like Bellinger would take the Houston lineup to the next level. He has had a bit of a down season due to some nagging injuries and poor all-around play from the entire Chicago roster, but he has still hit 16 home runs to go along with 63 RBI, while batting .265/.327/.427 in 114 games.

Back in 2023 with Chicago, Bellinger had a big-time year when he hit 26 homers, drove in 97 runs, and slashed .307/.356/.525.

Clearly, he has the kind of bat that can take an offense from good to great.

That is exactly why the Astros should consider strongly pursuing Bellinger in free agency or via a trade with the Cubs considering the massive hole they have at first base.

Houston is not far away from being a strong World Series contender. They will also have to figure out what to do with Justin Verlander and Alex Bregman, who are both set to hit free agency.

However, if they are able to keep both of those players and add Bellinger, that might be enough to power them to an elite contender status once again.