The Houston Astros have an obvious hole in their lineup, but that doesn’t guarantee they will address it in free agency.
Two years ago, the Astros gambled on former American League Most Valuable Player José Abreu in free agency, and it blew up in their face. Abreu was released just 35 games into the 2024 season after batting .124 with a .195 slugging percentage.
Abreu left a huge gap at first base, and the Astros never really managed to fill it by the postseason. This time around, perhaps the Astros could opt for more of a sure thing to occupy first base.
Frankly, there aren’t many better bets than a four-time All-Star.
Recently, Simon Sharkey-Gotlieb of The Score predicted that Houston would sign longtime New York Mets superstar Pete Alonso to become their next first baseman, relieving the pressure on journeyman Jon Singleton and backup catcher Victor Caratini.
“Minute Maid Park – soon to be Daikin Park – is a perfect landing spot for the power-hitting Alonso, who’s ultimately lured to Houston by the prospect of launching balls into the very short Crawford Boxes 81 times a year,” Sharkey-Gotlieb said.
“Alonso will stabilize what’s been a revolving door at first base for the Astros and is an obvious upgrade over Jon Singleton.”
Alonso, 30, had a mini down year in 2024, but still popped 34 home runs, only one less than Astros team leader Yordan Alvarez. He then went on to have a monster postseason, with a .999 OPS and three clutch home runs, setting himself up for a nice free-agent payday.
With the Mets focused on pursuing superstar outfielder Juan Soto, now could be the Astros’ time to pounce. Signing Alonso would give Houston a big leg up on the rest of the AL West in 2025, a division they’ve owned for nearly an entire decade at this point.
Leave a Reply