Houston Astros' Former Closer Gives Interesting Statement About His New Role
After the Houston Astros handed out a megadeal to Josh Hader this offseason, there was tons of excitement that the American League powerhouse added the most dominant reliever in baseball.
With a $95 million contract in hand, it was expected that the superstar would be given the closing role.
New manager Joe Espada finally revealed who the Astros' closer would be for this upcoming season, and to no real surprise, he named it would be Hader.
Their former closer Ryan Pressly is going to be moved into a setup role and he had an interesting comment when asked about his transition.
"I get paid to go get three outs, it don't matter if it's in the fourth inning or the ninth inning. Whenever the phone rings, and they tell me to get in there, I get in there," he said according to Leah Vann of Chron.com.
Questions about how the addition of Hader might resonate throughout the clubhouse were discussed once the shock of the move wore off.
Pressly has been a staple for Houston since being acquired in 2018.
But, it seems like the two are working on building a relationship so that any potential issues that people think could arise don't occur.
This will be important as the Astros begin their journey of hoisting another World Series championship, something that Pressly is fully focused on as he embarks on the final year of his contract with the team before a mutual option can be exercised.
"He's hands-down one of the best relievers in the game and when you add him to our bullpen, we're just that much better now. I'm happy he's here. I'm happy I get to share a bullpen with him. It's going to be a fun time. He seems like he's going to be a great teammate, so I'm excited to be there with him," the former closer said.
If these two truly are able to develop a good relationship, that creates one less thing for Houston to worry about.
There will be ups and downs throughout the season, but not having behind-the-scenes drama will benefit everyone.
Both are special players and it will be a massive benefit to have them on the same team.
