Astros Final Roster Spot, Jandel Gustave versus James Hoyt

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Sep 9, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros relief pitcher James Hoyt (51) pitches during the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

With eight Houston Astros players off representing their countries in the World Baseball Classic, there will be many players getting the extra reps. While most of the pitchers have stayed behind, Luke Gregerson, Kevin Chapman, and Dayan Diaz are off to the WBC. Only one of those players has a chance of making the 25-man roster. Gregerson is that player, but there will be some extra innings for some of the young arms.

Manager A.J. Hinch told us on Talking Stros that he prefers 13 pitchers. Let’s assume that Dallas Keuchel, Lance McCullers, Collin McHugh, Charlie Morton, and Joe Musgrove are in the rotation. The locks for the bullpen are Ken Giles, Will Harris, Gregerson, Chris Devenski, Michael Feliz, Tony Sipp, and Mike Fiers. That leaves one spot open in the bullpen. Let’s break their respective roles on this team.

The closer.

With his stuff, Ken Giles is the obvious candidate for closer on this team. He did not have his best season with the Astros, but he did show glimpses of dominance. In 67 2/3 innings last year, he struck out 102 hitters. He had a 4.11 ERA with a 2-5 record and 15 saves, but he got off to a rough start. The Astros traded for Giles to be the closer, but then he wasn’t, and then he was again.

The setup guys.

The other candidates for saves could be Harris and Gregerson. Wouldn’t be surprised to see Devenski get saves here or there. Harris was a better pitcher in non-save situations last year, and Gregerson has in his career as well. Feliz could also find his way into this role, but he must be more consistent. After the poor start to 2016, Feliz was sent down to Triple-A. When he returned, he was up for good but hit a wall late in the year.

The lefty.

Love him or hate him, Sipp is the guy. The Astros brought in some other options for a left-handed reliever, but they are not having much luck this Spring. Ashur Tolliver, C.J. Riefenhauser, and returning Chapman. One of the options I will discuss in a little while is having a decent Spring. However, Sipp is the guy for now. They went without a second lefty reliever last year, so I can see them opening the season that way again.

The long relievers.

The Astros have a unique feature. They have three relievers who could be in the starting rotation. These are Fiers, Feliz, and Devenski. While Fiers would most likely be the long guy, the Astros are stretching Devenski out this Spring to be able to pitch multiple innings again. Fiers has pitched out of the bullpen before, but he understands that might be his role in 2017.

The final guy.

Aug 11, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Jandel Gustave (61) delivers a pitch during the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. The Astros win 15-7 over the Twins. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports /

The problem is, we are missing the other guy. Someone who is just a reliever. With three of the pitchers being able to pitch multiple innings, there could be a need a need for someone who could pitch daily. They need someone to fill the Pat Neshek role so that the Astros could turn to a young guy.

The possible options are Jandel Gustave, James Hoyt, or Reymin Guduan. Brad Peacock is out of options. There is a chance that the Astros could try to hold onto him. The question is, how long would they sacrifice stronger arms to carry Peacock. My guess is that the Astros put him on waivers and hope that he clears and can be sent to Triple-A. Peacock would also be another long-man type reliever.

Guduan is a left-handed power pitcher who could find his way on the 25-roster at some point. In three innings this Spring, he has five strikeouts with a 3.00 ERA. They one thing that raises a flag is his 2.00 WHIP, but it’s a relatively small sample size. He has yet to make his MLB debut. Guduan could use a little more time in Triple-A.

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Gustave and Hoyt on the other have MLB service. They both debuted in 2016 towards the end of the year, but Hoyt struggled initially. Hoyt ended up settling down a little with a 1-1 record with a 4.50 ERA in 2016. He did strike out 28 hitters in 22 MLB innings. This Spring in one inning, he has a 0.00 ERA with two strikeouts. A promising start, but still a small sample size.

My choice would be Gustave because Hinch and Jeff Luhnow have raved about him all offseason. He has already pitched in back-to-back games, through three innings, he has five strikeouts this Spring. Last year, he had a 3.52 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings. This guy could be a huge asset to the team this year, but Hoyt isn’t getting any younger.

Next: Houston Astros’ Rotation news, McCullers, McHugh, and Keuchel

Hoyt is 30 going on 31. The Astros might want to capitalize on Hoyt before he’s out of his prime. There is a chance that A.J. Reed or Tony Kemp could be the 25th guy, but I’m fake betting on Gustave being the guy. Good luck to all, and it’s great to have competition.

***Stats from Baseball-Reference and MLB At Bat App***

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