Houston Astros Target Will Be ‘Aggressively Shopped’ by Super Agent in Free Agency

The Houston Astros target will have a tough market due to having the best agent in baseball.

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

It's time for the Houston Astros front office to show the fan base that they're still looking to win a World Series in the future.

The Astros have nearly all of their core pieces set outside of Alex Bregman, but whether they bring the slugger back or not could have big implications on what they do in free agency.

Either way, Houston has a clear need to upgrade their roster in multiple areas. They were much further away from competing for a World Series than it seemed at points throughout the campaign and it's time to fix that.

Free agency is now open, and players can sign with a new team five days after the World Series, perhaps the most exciting time for baseball fans.

The Astros have been linked to a few big names, which is a promising sign. If they land one of them, the offseason would be considered a big win.

Of the players included, Pete Alonso is arguably the best power hitter on the market. Alonso will be sought after on the open market, but it remains uncertain how big his deal could get.

Some view him as a $200 million player, and with super agent Scott Boras representing him, that might not be out of the question.

Steve Henson of the Los Angeles Times listed the top free agents available, highlighting Alonso and how he will be "aggressively shopped" by Boras.

"One of the most popular players in Mets history, the Polar Bear is a power hitter — 226 homers in five-plus seasons — and clubhouse jewel. The Mets will try to re-sign him, and he’ll be amenable to a return. But with Boras as an agent, he also will be aggressively shopped. The St. Louis Cardinals might be a landing spot because they’re unlikely to bring back first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and need to fill that power void."

Agents are a big factor in where players end up. The part that could get tricky with Alonso is that Steve Cohen, the owner of the New York Mets, could be used as a decoy for Boras to drive up the price for other teams.

A reunion with the Mets is possible, but past rumors indicate that Houston is interested in landing the big power hitter.

It'll all likely come down to what Boras wants, which might not play in the Astros' favor due to their unwillingness to spend heavily on free agents in recent winters.