Veteran Slugger Viewed As Possible Houston Astros First Base Option

The Houston Astros could go after this veteran slugger to fill their void at first base.

Sep 15, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins first baseman Carlos Santana (21) celebrates after hitting a single against the Cincinnati Reds in the fourth inning at Target Field / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Ideally, the Houston Astros will bring in a first baseman this offseason.

They had to rotate multiple players at the position last year because their past high-priced signing, Jose Abreu, flopped to the point where the team had no other choice but to cut him.

Long are the days of the Astros having a staple covering first after they decided to move on from Yuli Gurriel based on his age.

However, that could change this winter.

There are plenty of high-end options for them to pursue on the open market, but at this point in time, that only seems likely if they aren't able to re-sign Alex Bregman considering the type of contract they would have to give their franchise cornerstone to get him back in Houston.

So, while game changers like Pete Alonso and Christian Walker are essentially off the table depending on Bregman's decision, they'll have to look at some other options if they want to shore up that unit.

Someone Brian McTaggart of MLB.com thinks the Astros could have interest in is veteran slugger Carlos Santana.

"The Astros ranked 26th of 30 MLB teams with a .651 OPS by their first basemen. Santana, a switch-hitter, could be the perfect short-term solution at the position ... He's tough to strike out, whiffing just 16.7% of his plate appearances while walking 10.9%. Santana had a .934 OPS against left-handers and .676 against right-handers," he writes.

The last part is something that could play a major factor.

Houston was uncharacteristically poor with plate discipline this past season, something the front office and manager has already told the hitting coaches they need to improve upon.

And even though Santana being 38 years old might scare some Astros fans based on what happened with Abreu, the veteran slugger just put together a campaign where he slashed .238/.328/.420 with 23 homers and 71 RBI across his 150 games, while also providing Gold Glove-winning defense.

Spotrac puts his market value at $5.6 million for a one-year deal, something that could certainly interest Houston even if they re-sign Bregman.

Santana would provide exactly what the Astros are looking for this offseason.

Not only does he bring some pop to the lineup with his bat and elite defense to the position, but he's also a versatile switch-hitter who is hard to strike out.

Keep an eye on Houston's interest in the longtime slugger as the Hot Stove heats up.