Houston Astros Rumors: Three relievers to target before Spring Training
By T.A. Mock
Santiago Casilla, RHP
Santiago Casilla is another former closer, like Norris, but he may be beyond his closing days as he will be turning 39 in the middle of the 2019 season. But, there is still a ton to like about Casilla’s game for the Houston Astros to add him to their bullpen.
For starters, he has ‘been there and done that’ several times. Casilla was with the Giants during the ‘Even Years’ run that resulted in three World Series rings. That matches up well with what the Astros want to do, obviously, and he can bring valuable experience and expertise to this team that could feature quite a few young arms.
Beyond that, there is the closer aspect which has seen him collect 132 saves since 2012. He did so with a devastating three-pitch combination of his fastball, slider, and curveball. This helped him notch a sub 2.00 ERA and sub 1.00 WHIP several times during those years as well.
Also. 3 guys with the most to lose in Spring Training. light
His curveball has been his most effective pitch for the past four years, though, his spin rate only ranks in the middle of the pack. There is the saying that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks but Strom and the Houston Astros may be able to tweak his delivery and grip a little bit to make this an even more effective pitch.
Casilla is also about 40 points better against righties in regards to batting average and on-base percentage so he could also fill that righty-specialist role that Smith’s injury has left. The Houston Astros should definitely kick the tires on Casilla, even if it is just a minor league deal.