After 4 Strong Seasons, Bryan Abreu Is Now the Astros' Toughest Roster Call

When it was announced that Houston Astros closer Josh Hader was going to begin the season on the injured list, that put manager Joe Espada in a situation that was less than ideal at the beginning of the season. Who was going to be his closer in high-leverage situations?

Some believed that 28-year-old right-hander Bryan Abreu could fill that void. In 2025, Abreu collected seven saves for Houston, but there was no doubt that he had the stuff to be the closer that Espada needed until Hader got healthy.

Unfortunately for Espada, Abreu and the Astros, the save situations were few and far between earlier in the season and that hasn't changed. Houston is 30-37 as they begin a series in Southern California this week against the Los Angeles Angels.

Hader is finally back, but could he be a trade candidate by the deadline for general manager Dana Brown, who could become a seller? As far as Abreu goes, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report listed one candidate who could be DFA'ed by each team. Abreu, surprisingly, was Houston's candidate.

Astros Pitcher Bryan Abreu Named DFA Candidate

Houston Astros pitcher Bryan Abreu — Bryan Abreu | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

The 2026 season has been a struggle for Abreu, but to be fair, it's been a struggle for the entire team. They have dealt with injuries that have crippled the roster at times. However, when times like that hit, you need players like Abreu to step up and that hasn't been the case.

"Abreu was much more effective in May than he had been in April, but he still hasn't looked like his old self, striking out only seven of 39 batters faced that month. And at six games below .500, Houston can't afford many more late-inning missteps,'' Miller wrote.

The last four seasons have been very good for Abreu, who has been a huge part of the Astros bullpen. This season, however, the numbers don't lie. He has a whopping 7.17 ERA in 21.1 innings of work with a WAR of -0.6. He has 30 strikeouts and 24 walks, which is a terrible ratio. He has recorded five holds and three saves, but again, the chances have been few and far between.

Brown could simply hold onto Abreu and hope that he figures things out over the next couple of months and raise trade value for a contender looking for bullpen depth. It would be surprising if Houston DFA’d him at this point, as there is no doubt that the talent is there for him to be a difference-maker at the backend of the bullpen.

Brown is facing a lot of questions in the next couple of months and Abreu is right up there.

Add us as a preferred source on Google