Houston Astros Former World Series Champion Still Prominent Free Agent
When the offseason hit for the Houston Astros as they were eliminated from the playoffs by their rival Texas Rangers, the front office knew they would have to search for bullpen help.
Three of their most prominent relievers, Hector Neris, Phil Maton and Ryne Stanek, hit free agency with the possibility of them re-signing the trio very unlikely.
That proved to come true as Neris signed with the Chicago Cubs and Maton with the Tampa Bay Rays.
However, Stanek is still out there on the market looking for his next team.
The Astros were able to get land superstar closer Josh Hader with a megadeal and promising reliever Dylan Coleman in a trade, so it's unlikely that a reunion might be coming.
Houston, now over the luxury tax, is seemingly done adding players to their roster.
It's interesting that someone of Stanek's pedigree is still available.
Since joining the Astros in 2021, he became a staple out of their bullpen putting up impressive numbers, especially during their 2022 World Series run with a 1.15 ERA over 59 regular season games and a staggering 0.00 ERA in the playoffs.
Teams might be hesitant to sign the 32-year-old after his ERA of 4.09 and FIP of 4.60 last year, suggesting his overall numbers might have been better than what he actually did on the mound.
Still, Stanek would be a solid bullpen piece for contending teams.
What his asking price currently is might be an issue for front offices still looking for additions at this point in the offseason.
Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic says that might have been a reason why the Cubs walked away from the possibility of adding the former champion despite there being mutual interest at one point.
Stanek will likely have to come down on his price if he wants to pitch for a team when Opening Day rolls around.
