Houston Astros could target All-Star first baseman as ‘realistic fallback’

There are many questions the Houston Astros need to answer before deciding what they will do ahead of the July 30 trade deadline.

General manager Dana Brown seems determined not to be a selling team, and even went so far as to say they would be buyers, but with their 31-38 record following their series loss to the San Francisco Giants, they certainly don’t look like a suitor.

The way they are currently playing puts the Astros in a tough spot.

Because they have a championship pedigree and a roster full of stars, there will always be hope that they can turn things around and make it to the playoffs where anything can happen. On the other hand, some contracts will be up soon with Alex Bregman being the immediate deal, so long term plans for this franchise need to be considered.

If they continue to falter, Houston could look to move a few pieces.

However, Brown made it clear that he had no intention of doing so.

So if they want to make improvements to push this team into the playoffs, they will target some positions near the deadline.

The most obvious is pitching with season-ending injuries to Cristian Javier and Jose Urquidy, but the other main need is at first base.

Jose Abreu hasn’t bounced back from his nearly month-long stay in Florida to get his swing back on track as he’s still slashing just .127/.171/.200. He’s hit two home runs this month, but it’s hard to believe he’ll be able to return to his past form.

Houston has been linked to some of the bigger names that could become available like Pete Alonso and Paul Goldschmidt, but with those players likely costing a lot to acquire, even as a rental, the Astros could turn their attention elsewhere.

Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report thinks they could call the Miami Marlins for Josh Bell, as they will likely be sellers at the deadline, with one of the worst records in baseball.

“Bell of the Marlins, who seems to be traded every summer, could be a more realistic fallback.”

This really wouldn’t be a bad option for Houston.

The 2019 All-Star has a career OPS+ of 116 and has had three straight years with an OPS+ figure above the league average. Despite his down season where he slashed .246/.317/.385, he offers versatility at the plate as a switch hitter.

Bell will become a free agent after the year and shouldn’t cost the Astros a ton to acquire him, like the other options that could become available.

Keep an eye on this move as it could be considered if Abreu continues to struggle.