Houston Astros Rumors: Three relievers to target before Spring Training
By T.A. Mock
The Houston Astros have made some moves this offseason but there is one spot they haven’t addressed: relief pitching. Here are three options to consider.
The Houston Astros have had a very solid bullpen for the last couple of seasons. It has seen names come and go but has remained near the top of the league in all categories. A lot of that goes to the pitchers, obviously, but some credit needs to go to Brent Strom.
Strom is a wizard with pitchers and has been able to get the most out of the majority of his pitchers. Even a future Hall of Famer in Justin Verlander saw improvements under Strom’s tutelage. A lot of the relievers, who are very good in their own right, have also seen jumps in success.
As it stands, in 2019 the Houston Astros bullpen will be headlined by Roberto Osuna, Ryan Pressly, and Hector Rondon. Guys like Chris Devenski and Will Harris will be among the rest of the relievers. How the starting rotation shakes out will also impact the rest of the bullpen.
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Even with all of those guys, the team could still look to add a reliever, on a minor league deal or otherwise, to compete for a spot in the bullpen for 2019. There are a decent number of young guys who could be stretched out as starters in the minors or as relievers in the majors. Adding a veteran reliever could allow the former to happen, a more ideal situation in my opinion.
Sidebar: I had Jerry Blevins on this list as I began writing but he has since signed with the Oakland Athletics on a one-year, minor league deal. He would have been a solid addition to the Houston Astros but, alas, we won’t be seeing him in an Astros uniform.
Anyways, without further adieu, let’s dive into three relievers that the Houston Astros could look to add over the next few days prior to Spring Training starting or even into Spring Training a little bit.