Houston Astros Boss Reveals Biggest Concern Heading Into Season
The Houston Astros will look to return to the World Series in 2024 after losing in the ALCS last season. It never gets any easier, but for this Astros dynasty, a World Series appearance is an expectation.
General manager Dana Brown has done an excellent job putting together a high-level team for first-year manager Joe Espada. Now, it's time for him and the team to put it all together and get the job done.
Much is staying the same from a roster standpoint this season. The stars are returning, but there were losses in the bullpen that could hurt Houston at some point in the year.
They signed Josh Hader to a megadeal and will have Ryan Pressly pitch the 8th innings. An 8-9 punch of Pressly and Hader will be arguably the best in baseball. Factor in Bryan Abreu, and the Astros have the best back end of a bullpen in the league.
However, Brown has concerns about who's going to pitch in the middle of Houston's bullpen. He spoke with Bill Ladson of MLB.com and expressed his worries when asked if he had any concerns heading into the season.
"We really have to focus on who is going pitch in the middle of our bullpen."
With Hector Neris, Ryan Stanek, and Phil Maton walking in free agency, the bullpen did take a hit in those middle innings. While it improved in the back end, the middle innings can be just as important at times.
There are young arms on the 40-man roster who can win a job during Spring Training. Given the lack of openings in the starting lineup and rotation, the bullpen competition will be the biggest story for the next few weeks.
