Houston Astros Linked Once Again to Star Slugger Before Free Agency

The Houston Astros wasted no time kicking off their offseason, inking former first-round pick Nate Pearson to bolster the bullpen. Yet the bigger buzz surrounds a potential splash at the plate.

MLB insider Jon Heyman has repeatedly linked the Astros to free-agent slugger Pete Alonso, and he reinforced that chatter in a recent Bleacher Report interview.

“What am I hearing about the Astros? Look, I hear they like Pete Alonso,” Heyman said. “For whatever reason they do like Pete Alonso. … That’s one thing I have heard with the Houston Astros.”

Houston’s offense sputtered through 2025, ranking near the bottom of the league in home runs and slugging percentage. Alonso, who has averaged 40 homers over the last three full seasons, represents the kind of middle-order thunder that could jolt a lineup grown predictable.

The real head-scratcher is roster construction. The Astros already face an infield traffic jam. Jose Altuve stays at second base, leaving Christian Walker, Isaac Paredes, Carlos Correa, and Jeremy Peña to sort out first base, third base, and shortstop.

Most projections slot Walker as the odd man out, with Paredes shifting to first, Correa to third, and Peña at short. That alignment, while imperfect, functions.

Alonso’s arrival would scramble the puzzle again. Primarily a first baseman with limited defensive versatility, he would compete for at-bats at first or designated hitter—territory already occupied by a healthy Yordan Álvarez, the lineup’s cornerstone. Forcing Álvarez into the outfield or onto the bench isn’t realistic.

Money complicates matters further. Alonso rejected shorter-term deals last winter and is now reportedly seeking a contract in the neighborhood of $150 million. The Astros, still paying down commitments to Álvarez, Altuve, and others, operate with constrained payroll flexibility.

Heyman noted the New York Yankees are expected to pursue Alonso aggressively, injecting stiffer competition into an already crowded market.

Trade dominoes could theoretically clear space—moving Walker or Paredes for pitching help, for instance—but no such maneuver has surfaced in credible reporting. Until a significant roster subtraction occurs, Alonso to Houston remains more rumor than reality.

For a franchise desperate to recapture October magic, the temptation is obvious. Yet the path from interest to signing looks narrow, winding through positional overlap and budgetary restraint. The Astros may admire Alonso from afar, but turning admiration into acquisition will require more than offseason optimism.