A notable MLB insider believes both the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros will be in pursuit of two specific veteran sluggers who could be available before the July 30 MLB trade deadline.
Entering the MLB games today, the Mariners are in very different positions in the American League West standings. Seattle has caught fire in recent weeks and has ridden that momentum into taking control of the top spot in the division. On the flip side, Houston is nearly eight games behind the Mariners and has not been able to break out of their season-long slump.
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Yet, despite their differing positions in the division standings, both teams are expected to be buyers before the MLB trade deadline next month. And oddly enough, The Athletic MLB insider Jim Bowden believes they could be targeting the same pair of multi-time All-Star first basemen over the next few weeks.
In a Tuesday column, the former MLB general manager took a look at the various trade rumors and rumblings around the league. New York Mets All-Star Pete Alonso “is expected to be the biggest power bat traded” this summer and Bowden listed both teams among the six likely landing spots for the player who has hit 40 or more home runs three times during his career.
That is not completely unexpected since each organization has been linked to Alonso in recent weeks. However, he offered another big-name 1B as a likely target for the AL West clubs. If the St. Louis Cardinals can’t pull the nose up on their season and become a serious Wild Card contender, seven-time All-Star Paul Goldschmidt could be up for grabs.
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“In that scenario, Goldschmidt going to the Astros, Mariners or Yankees could make sense,” Bowden wrote.
Alonso is a free agent after this season and would just be a rental for both teams. Likewise for the 2022 National League MVP, who is in the final year of the five-year, $130 million contract he signed with the Cardinals in 2020. Both are having subpar seasons, however, Alonso is still delivering the power that would make him a big addition to either lineup.
