Houston Astros Should Still Pursue Star Slugger in Free Agency

The Houston Astros should still pursue an intriguing star slugger in MLB free agency.

Oct 18, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) celebrates his three run home run during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game five of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Citi Field. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

With the MLB offseason right around the corner, the Houston Astros are going to be a very intriguing team to keep an eye on.

After an impressive season of overcoming injuries and adversity, the Astros were quickly swept out of the postseason by the Detroit Tigers. It was a disappointing end to what had been an awesome year.

Now, Houston will be looking to put together an offseason that helps them get back into serious World Series contention.

One area that the Astros could look to improve this offseason is at first base. There are quite a few intriguing options that will be available in free agency.

New York Mets star slugger Pete Alonso could be a player that makes sense for Houston. He's not going to come cheap, but he's the kind of offensive impact player that could take the Astros' lineup to the next level.

Alonso is fresh off of helping the Mets make a run all the way to the NLCS. New York ended up falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers one step before the World Series.

While he's going to cost a lot of money, Houston should absolutely plan to pursue Alonso. Making the run that the Mets did makes it more likely that they will look to re-sign Alonso, but a team like the Astros could still make a strong pitch to him.

During the 2024 MLB season, Alonso ended up playing in 162 games. He hit 34 home runs to go along with 88 RBI, while batting .240/.329/.459.

It certainly wasn't his best season from a power perspective, but he was still a major threat. Adding the kind of pop that he brings to a lineup could go a long way for Houston.

At 29 years old, Alonso still has quite a few great years of baseball ahead of him. The Astros may end up balking at his price tag, but he'd be worthy of a long and lucrative deal if it is priced right. Houston has to get aggressive and this would be one way to do just that.

Of course, the Astros have other decisions to make in free agency as well. Alex Bregman and Justin Verlander are both set to hit the open market. Both players are candidates to return, but that will depend on their asking price as well.

All of that being said, it's going to be a very interesting offseason to watch Houston. They have a lot of decisions to make and some needs to address.

Alonso may not end up being a top target for the team, but the Astros should consider the option. His offensive ability would make them a much more dangerous team next year.