Astros could solve first base problem with trade for All-Star, per insider

The Houston Astros are officially back in first place, to the absolute dismay of the rest of the American League.

After a 7-19 start, the Astros have been the best team in Major League Baseball since the middle of May. They took two of three from the Seattle Mariners over the weekend to claim first place in the AL West, with a 52-47 record.

Even more ominous news for the rest of the league: The Astros still have an obvious flaw that could be fixed by the July 30 trade deadline. Their first basemen have been the worst collection of hitters at the position for any team all season.

Unfortunately, the market is particularly thin this season, especially at first base. But while the Astros may be struggling to find primary first basemen on selling teams, they may have stumbled into a perfect solution.

MLB Network insider Jon Heyman said on MLB Central this morning that the Tampa Bay Rays' Isaac Paredes was a "potential fit" for Houston at first base. Paredes has been the primary third baseman in Tampa Bay for two years but has seen increased reps at first this month.

"I don't think (his) name's really been out there, but this is a potential fit for the Astros," Heyman said of Paredes. "He really works on a number of levels for them."

Heyman went on to point out that Paredes is a match made in heaven at Minute Maid Park. Each of his 69 career MLB home runs has been pulled to left field, where the infamous Crawford Boxes, the easiest place in MLB for righties to hit home runs, await.

Playing first base and hitting pull-side home runs are already more than enough justification to bring Paredes in. But the cherry on top is that his positional versatility fits exactly what the Astros may need as third baseman Alex Bregman's free agency looms.

"It doesn't appear they are very likely to keep Bregman," Heyman said. "So, you know, perfect fit is a cliché; this is a pretty good fit."

Though the Astros at one point saw Bregman as an integral part of their core, his price tag may be outgrowing his production. He signed a five-year arbitration extension through this season that ballooned his 2024 salary to $30 million. He'll no doubt be looking for more in free agency.

And while Bregman has been solid since a treacherous first two months this year, Paredes has out-hit him in back-to-back years. The 25-year-old has posted an .828 OPS since the start of 2023, while Bregman checks in at .775.

With three additional seasons of team control after 2024, Paredes is a solid long-term solution at the hot corner. And although he's cheap right now, he'll likely make much more than his $3.4 million arbitration salary in 2025, due to his All-Star selection this year.

The Rays have been known to trade their star players right before their price tags skyrocket. The question remains whether they will do so this season and whether that will work in the Astros' favor.

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