What Astros Are Quietly Prioritizing in Bullpen Roles This Year

As much loss as the Houston Astros have faced this year, they've landed some key acquisitions to make up for it. Of course, saying goodbye to ace Framber Valdez was less than ideal, but this was to be expected.

To help fill that massive gap in their rotation, the Astros landed starters Tatsuya Imai, Mike Burrows and Ryan Weiss.

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As for their bullpen, Houston has been focused on fostering lefty insurance—the key to their bullpen this year.

Bullpen Led by Left-Handers

Houston Astros Bryan Abreu pitching — Houston Astros relief pitcher Bryan Abreu | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Houston's bullpen is largely led by 31-year-old Josh Hader, who logged a 2.05 ERA and 76 strikeouts across 52.2 innings pitched through 48 games last year. Last year, Hader missed a significant portion of the season due to a left shoulder capsule sprain. However, Hader recently experienced bicep inflammation, which could potentially be a setback this spring.

Outside of Hader, the Astros are in the company of a handful of left-handed relievers, including Bryan King, Steven Okert and Bennett Sousa. At this point, it's become clear that Houston was prioritizing a heavy left-handed bullpen.

Alongside Hader, 29-year-old King is another reliever for fans to keep an eye on. Last year, the left-hander registered a 2.78 ERA and 69 strikeouts across 68 innings pitched through 68 games. He's still rather fresh into his professional baseball career, having only made his debut in June 2024.

Unlike King, Abreu comes with far more experience in the Major Leagues. In fact, his entire seven-year MLB career has been spent with Houston. In 2025, he posted a 2.28 ERA and 105 strikeouts across 71.0 innings pitched through 70 games. Interestingly enough, Abreu does not fit the Astros' mold of fostering left-handed relievers, as he's a right-hander. Having said that, the balance should play out in Houston's favor this year.

Hader is certainly still the key anchor of Houston's bullpen heading into its upcoming campaign, and he comes with a high-leverage arm. His injuries could negatively impact his performance this year once again, but the Astros have a significant amount of depth in their bullpen, which will only help propel them forward.

At this point in the offseason, it's evident that left-handed maintenance was in Houston's plans. Once spring training rolls around, it will become clearer how this works for the Astros, but at face value, there's a mix of concern and confidence.

Hader's potential injury raises red flags, but there are some promising players who could end up thriving this year.