Astros GM Dana Brown made an look on MLB Community Radio this afternoon to debate the place the membership stands with a matter of weeks left till Opening Day. In doing so, Brown prompt that the membership is usually set when it comes to the lineup and beginning rotation, and that his major focus at this level within the spring is seeking to solidfy the membership’s bullpen. Whereas Brown expressed confidence within the quartet of Josh Hader, Ryan Pressly, Bryan Abreu, and Rafael Montero, he added that the membership nonetheless must “determine” how you can deal with the center innings following the departures of Ryne Stanek, Phil Maton, and Hector Neris this winter. The GM went on to recommend that the membership is even taking a look at exterior choices because it evaluates its bullpen combine.
“We’re speaking to golf equipment about trades,” Brown mentioned, “I can’t get into that, however we positively are having conversations about trades… we’re at all times taking a look at methods and avenues that we will get higher, and if we will get higher we’re going to make strikes.”
With the aforementioned 4 relievers presumably locked into bullpen spots forward of Opening Day, that leaves 4 spots within the aid corps obtainable coming into the 2024 marketing campaign. A kind of jobs seems prone to go to out of choices right-hander Brandon Bielak, who posted a strong 3.83 ERA in 80 innings of labor final yr whereas swinging between beginning and aid and figures to occupy an extended aid position with the membership this yr. Different probably contenders for spots within the membership’s bullpen embrace right-hander Dylan Coleman and southpaw Bennett Sousa, each of whom earned reward from Brown at the beginning of camp final month.
different choices on the 40-man roster, Ronel Blanco pitched to a 4.50 ERA in 17 appearances with the membership final yr together with seven begins, although it’s honest to wonder if the Astros would like to maintain him stretched out as beginning pitching depth on the Triple-A stage to open the season with Justin Verlander anticipated to open the season on the injured listing. Seth Martinez, Oliver Ortega, and Parker Mushinski are different aid choices with massive league expertise presently on the membership’s 40-man, with the likes of Wander Suero and Joel Kuhnel in camp as non-roster invitees.
One potential x-factor who has but to make his MLB debut is former prime prospect Forrest Whitley, who can be already on the membership’s 40-man roster. The membership’s first-round choose within the 2017 draft was as soon as a consensus top-10 prospect within the sport however has battled accidents and ineffectiveness in recent times, prompting a transfer to the bullpen. That being mentioned, Whitley has battled finger irritation this spring and was shut down from throwing in late February, doubtlessly impacting his availability on Opening Day.
Whereas the membership definitely has quite a few doubtlessly viable choices at its disposal, that group of arms vying for spots in the midst of the Houston bullpen presents little in the way in which of certainty. On condition that, it’s straightforward to see why Brown would look to doubtlessly bolster his aid corps forward of Opening Day. That mentioned, it’s unclear which groups might look to half with bullpen depth at this late stage within the offseason. Whereas the Crimson Sox have reportedly shopped Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin this winter, the duo have been slowed by accidents this spring and are veteran, high-leverage arms who can be a big step up from the kind of center aid aid arm Brown indicated the membership is in search of. Jansen, particularly, comes with a whopping $16MM wage for the 2024 season that Houston can be unlikely to be inquisitive about paying given their full late-inning combine.
Whilst there aren’t any apparent matches for what the Astros seem like in search of within the rumor mill in the intervening time, it’s not troublesome to think about an arm not but on the radar as a commerce candidate turning into obtainable as Opening Day attracts close to. In any case, nearly all of golf equipment have much more bullpen choices presently in camp than they’ll afford to roster coming into the season. It’s at all times attainable that an out-of-options reliever squeezed off one other membership’s roster or a non-roster invitee who isn’t breaking camp with their present group might catch the membership’s consideration and immediate Brown to aim to swing a deal, even when a extra vital deal isn’t being labored on behind the scenes.
