Questions Arise Regarding Houston Astros Signing Power Hitter in MLB Free Agency

The Houston Astros need to upgrade the first base position, but there might be issues in doing so.

Oct 18, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) reacts after the Mets defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in game five of the NLCS during the 2024 MLB playoffs at Citi Field. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

If the Houston Astros want to roll out the best possible team in 2025, they'll sign a free-agent first baseman in the offseason. 

The top option continues to be Pete Alonso and the Astros have been linked to him multiple times over the past couple of months. He was believed to be one of their top trade targets at the deadline, but the New York Mets made a wise decision by not trading him.

As a result, Alonso was a big piece to the Mets' success in the postseason, losing in the National League Championship Series. 

That alone could prompt New York to re-sign him in the offseason, but there are questions about whether they will.

The expectation around baseball is for them to spend heavily on free agents, which could hurt Alonso's chances of returning to the team. 

For Houston, that would be the best possible scenario. They clearly could use his services, but it's also important to note that a price comes with that. 

The Astros have an expensive roster, and it's uncertain how much the ownership group would be willing to spend to expand it.

That's why Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report named them the No. 3 landing spot for the Florida native but highlighted some of the issues that could arise. 

"Similar to the Yankees with Soto, Houston's willingness/ability to invest in Alonso likely hinges on whether it manages to re-sign its marquee free agent. That isn't to say there's a 100 percent chance the Astros will sign either Alonso or Alex Bregman, nor is there exactly a zero percent chance they sign them both, as they do presently have gaping holes at both corner infield spots... Well, they entered 2024 with a $236M payroll after spending each of the previous three years right around that $184M mark. Thus, they probably have room for one or the other. Unless they're particularly concerned about Bregman's sudden sharp decline in walk rate, they'll probably prioritize keeping the third baseman over bringing in the first baseman. But we shall see."

With the other free agency decisions they have to make, there's a chance they don't spend $150 plus million on one-hitter. That wouldn't be the wrong decision, but Houston would have to find a solution at first base in a different way.

Whether it's Alonso or not remains to be seen, and of course, he'd be the best possible solution. 

Either way, they can't afford to continue letting Jon Singleton and others play with minimal offensive production.