The Houston Astros were rumored to have had interest in many of the top players on the market during the trade deadline. However, most of those players were not traded for various reasons. With the offseason approaching in the next few months, the Astros may decide to reopen those talks.
Their failure to sign top players at the deadline was largely due to their subpar farm system. Fortunately, this time around, there will be an opportunity to sign these players as free agents, so Houston won’t have to trade anyone to get the player in question.
Most of the rumors revolved around a first baseman. Reports said they were interested in Pete Alonso and others. Jim Bowden of The athlete reported the Astros’ interest in the bat before the deadline
“Astros GM Dana Brown has made it clear to other front offices that he is focused on signing a veteran starter and an impactful long-term or short-term solution at first base. He has talked to the Mets about Luis Severino and Pete Alonso,” Bowden wrote.
The New York Mets did not trade Alonso, which made perfect sense from their perspective. Much like Houston, they were chasing a playoff spot. A few weeks later, the Mets are still in the race for the playoffs. Trading Alonso would not have helped them in any way.
The Floridian native will become a free agent at the end of the year, making him, alongside Juan Soto, arguably the best free agent on the market.
New York will likely consider keeping him after failing to trade him at the deadline, but at the end of the day, this is a business and if he demands more money than they are willing to give him, there’s a good chance he’ll have to go.
And that certainly sounds like a possibility, as Andy Martino said on an episode of “Foul Territory” that the Mets were “not in the mood” to make him a big offer.
“I don’t think they’re in the mood to blow him out of the water with a huge offer.”
His performance suggests he’s worth a huge contract, and if New York doesn’t give it to him, someone else probably will.
The Astros haven’t always been aggressive in free agency in recent years, but that could change. They need a long-term solution at first base, and with Alonso, they would find one.
