Houston Astros’ veteran first base option sent to division rivals

The Houston Astros are short another option on the market for a first baseman after the Toronto Blue Jays traded him to an AL West rival.

Justin Turner was sacked midway through Monday’s game, a major indicator that a deal was close to being done. Minutes later, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that the Blue Jays would be trading Turner to the Seattle Mariners.

The Mariners received a minor league prospect in the deal, outfielder RJ Schreck. He is currently playing in Double-A and was the 29th overall prospect in their minor league system.

The deal is a blow to the Astros after another top target, Isaac Paredes, was traded to the Chicago Cubs.

Houston continues to see its options dwindle ahead of the trade deadline at 5 p.m. local time on Tuesday, as they have yet to make a move at the time of writing.

It’s been known for weeks that their goal was to improve both the starting rotation and their first base situation.

Their first basemen have produced a meager batting line of just .204/.272/.322 this season, making it clear why the team is focused on upgrading.

And while Turner has primarily been a third baseman throughout his career, he has seen his position shift to first base and designated hitter in the latter stages of his playing career. Seattle is reportedly looking to use him more in the field after his acquisition.

Even with Paredes and Turner both now traded and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. seemingly unavailable, there are still a few interesting options that would be available.

Josh Bell is one of the ones who wouldn’t require a trade, as he was placed on waivers by the Miami Marlins. He’s an expensive player, but he’s been healthy in his last 10 games. He’s probably not the first option, but he wouldn’t be a terrible consolation prize.

The most realistic player among them is probably Ryan Mountcastle of the Baltimore Orioles. He’s the only one who appears to be actively open to trades and would be relatively affordable.

For now, it’s just a matter of waiting to see what management has in store. It would be very surprising if they didn’t add someone to this position.