Pete Alonso's latest comments throw cold water on Astros' free agent pursuit

The Houston Astros have a number of areas of their roster they would like to address this offseason in a perfect world. Fortifying their rotation and bullpen would be lovely, the outfield could use some work, someone is going to have to play third base if/when Alex Bregman leaves, and there is even an argument that making an upgrade at shortstop is something the Astros should entertain. However, no spot on the roster is in clearer need of a change than first base.

Jose Abreu becoming unplayable had some real repercussions for Houston. They committed a lot of money to him, albeit unwisely, and now they are left without a clear answer at an offense-first position. Jon Singleton has had his moments, but no reasonable person thinks he is a long-term answer there. As a result, the Astros have been at the center of the first base market rumor mill for quite a while.

One name that started popping up this past season is the Mets' Pete Alonso. While not a perfect hitter by any stretch, Alonso is about as good a source of power at first base as exists in MLB, and he is set to become a free agent once the Mets' season comes to an end. Before the 2024 trade deadline, the Astros expressed interest in Alonso which has made them a prime offseason suitor for his services once he is on the open market.

However, Alonso's comments right before New York punched their ticket to the NLCS certainly lead one to believe that he might not be going anywhere.

And, yup, there's more.

Pete Alonso seems to strongly hint that he spurn Astros, others and stay with the Mets

Albanese is absolutely right about one thing here: hearing a star player who is about to hit free agency say that baseball is "not just a business" is not something we hear very often. Players can certainly have their preferences and instruct their agents privately to get a deal done with this team or that team, but those types of proclamations are almost never made publicly.

There is probably a pretty good reason for that, in Alonso's case. Prototypical first base power hitters have arguably never been valued less by the league as a whole. That doesn't mean they aren't valued at all, but guys like Alonso who just mash dingers, strike out a ton, and have some hit tool questions, along with little defensive value, aren't commanding top dollar anymore. However, it is also undeniably true that Mets fans absolutely love Alonso, and creating some pressure on New York's front office to get a deal done with a guy that wants to stay there isn't a terrible bargaining strategy.

With Alonso and his pumpkin in the middle of a playoff run and seemingly unlikely to part ways with the Mets quite so easily, that actually makes a potentially problematic move for the Astros far less likely. To leave New York, it would require a big contract being offered at a position where there are more cost-effective options available. Astros fans may want Houston to make a splashy move, but prying Alonso away from the Mets doesn't feel like a great use of Houston's limited resources, even if he was willing to entertain the idea.

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