Houston Astros Viewed as Possible Landing Spot for Superstar Slugger

If the Houston Astros want to upgrade at first base, this could be their solution.

May 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) reacts after striking out in the eighth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

There is a lot of work for the Houston Astros to do before getting themselves back into the playoff mix.

Beating the Minnesota Twins 5-2 in the second game of their series to give them an opportunity to win their first one of June is a good start.

After a quiet stretch of games, Yordan Alvarez showed up to the tune of hitting two home runs during his 3-3 night that saw him drive in three out of their five runs.

Getting him going is going to be paramount to their success if they're going to play postseason baseball.

The other thing the Astros need to figure out is their first base situation.

They seem committed to making it work with veteran Jose Abreu despite sending him to their Florida complex to work on his swing for almost the entire month of May. Manager Joe Espada said he liked what he's seen from the slugger prior to him hitting a home run on Saturday.

If the former AL MVP winner can regain his form, then Houston's problems are solved.

But, the past two campaigns have indicated that the 37-year-old is past his prime as he's put up the worst performances of his career since signing a lucrative contract with the Astros.

Because of that, Jon Heyman of The New York Post thinks this front office could become aggressive around the trade deadline and land one of the premier power hitters in baseball, Pete Alonso, to fix their issues at first base.

"One rival suggested the Astros, Mariners and Jays as possibilities (if those teams buy.)," he writes.

That would certainly be a splashy move.

Alonso has been utterly dominant at the plate since his rookie season in 2019 when he set a record with 53 home runs. Since then, he's bashed over 40 in two out of the three full years thereafter.

The superstar would almost certainly be a rental as he's scheduled to hit free agency after this season and is expected to command a lucrative contract that Houston likely won't be willing to meet.

But, in the short term, he would give this lineup a major boost.

The Astros have some intriguing prospects they can trade to the New York Mets if they want to go down that route, and if Abreu continues to look like he won't be able to find his old form at the plate, then this could be something they pursue.