You can cross several first basemen off the Astros potential trade deadline list

The Houston Astros are fighting for their postseason lives right now, and it's only the middle of June. At 31-38, the Astros are 8.0 games back of first place in the AL West and are 6.0 games back of the third and final Wild Card spot in the AL. They're one winning streak away from getting back into the thick of the race, but are also one losing streak away from potentially finding themselves completely out of contention.

The Astros being in this position is pretty shocking, as they entered this season with World Series expectations. They've been decimated by injuries, but they've also seen several key players underperform. Jose Abreu is a prime example of that.

Abreu struggled so mightily to begin this season to the point where the Astros actually sent him down to the minors. Since returning he's played better, but that's not saying much. He has just seven hits in 42 at-bats, posting a .519 OPS in the 13 games he's played in that stretch.

Abreu's issues at first base are something Houston is going to have to address at the trade deadline if Houston has any ideas of competing. While Astros general manager Dana Brown is thinking of making deals, he happened to say to Brian LaLima on SportsTalk 790 in Houston that they might not be in the rental market.

Astros targeting players with several years of control means you can cross off several first basemen

Fixing the Abreu conundrum for this season by acquiring a first baseman who is set to hit free agency at the end of the year would've made some sense since Houston wouldn't have to pay as much when it came to prospect capital, but that doesn't appear to be of interest to Brown.

The Astros would instead prefer to pay more, while ensuring that whoever they acquire sticks around past this season. Considering the uphill battle Houston is facing, it's hard to fault him there.

For those Astros fans wishing for Houston to trade for first basemen like Pete Alonso, Christian Walker, and even Paul Goldschmidt, that appears to be more of a pipe dream now considering all three of them are slated to hit free agency at the end of the year. The Astros could potentially turn their attention to a guy like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., but that is, of course, unlikely.

If the rest of Houston's lineup performs up to par they won't need a star first baseman, but no team can win with a player playing as poorly as Abreu soaking up everyday at-bats. If rentals aren't an option, Brown must either roll with Jon Singleton at the position or explore a bigger trade. Sticking with Abreu cannot be seriously considered if the Astros have any intention of competing this season.