Seattle Mariners Place Potential Houston Astros Target on Waivers

The Houston Astros need to be all over the former Seattle Mariners first baseman.

Jul 11, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Seattle Mariners first baseman Ty France (23) runs after hitting into a fielder choice against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning at Angel Stadium. / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Mariners helped the Houston Astros over the weekend, as the Astros won two of three to put them in a tie for first place in the American League West.

And, from the look of things, there could be a chance that the Mariners help them out again. According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Seattle has placed first baseman Ty France on outright waivers. If he goes unclaimed, France can refuse an assignment to the Minors.

A lot has to happen for France to make it to Houston, but he could be the perfect addition as the team searches for first base help.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported at the beginning of July that the front office had an interest in upgrading the position, and other rumors have suggested that Dana Brown has been making calls to do so.

"The Astros, now a clear threat to win the West yet again, seek a starter (or two) and a hitter (possibly a 1B if it’s a clear upgrade)."

The Astros released Jose Abreu due to poor play, but the team hasn't found an ideal replacement just yet. Jon Singleton has taken over the first base duties, and while he's a productive professional who could play when needed, he might be in too big of a role for a team with World Series aspirations.

Singleton is slashing .236/.326/.678 with seven home runs.

The idea of adding France would be in large part due to what he's done over his career. The 30-year-old was an All-Star just two years ago but has since struggled. In 2024, he slashed .224/.313/.351 with eight home runs and 14 doubles in 299 at-bats.

That's not exactly an upgrade, but if he could get back to what he did in 2021 and 2022, France would add another threat to this lineup. In 2021 and 2022, he posted at least an OPS+ of 125, including a .813 OPS in 2021.

He's never been too big of a power threat, hitting a career-high 20 home runs in 2022. However, he's shown in the past that he could be someone who hits for average and can leave the yard when needed.

Perhaps they take a chance on him and focus on other things during the deadline. If they could manage to find a first baseman like France off waivers and focus on upgrading their banged-up rotation, it'd be a perfect idea if he returns to form.