Astros: 3 key pieces needed to hold this bullpen together

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Houston Astros, Blake Taylor (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

The Houston Astros added all of nobody before the trade deadline, so here are three relievers needed to hold this bullpen together.

So the Houston Astros watched the trade deadline come and go without adding anyone. Just about everyone expected them to add at least one experienced bullpen arm, but James Click expressed faith in the guys they already have, saying they were good enough to compete for the World Series.

Maybe so. For what it’s worth, the Astros bullpen has been coming around recently, with a few key guys stepping up to keep this unit secure.

Of course, not everyone is so reliable. With so many relievers making their debuts, this is all still a work in progress. Maybe Enoli Paredes is something special—I tend to think so—but how much can we really count on him? Hard to say. Sure, we’ve added guys like Brooks Raley and Chase De Jong, but are they really answers? Similarly hard to say.

These three are the most important in the Houston Astros bullpen

Bullpens don’t do well with uncertainty. This team really needs a few key guys to step up and be the pillars they can build a game around. While they don’t always have to be 7-8-9th inning guys like the old Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel, Billy Wagner days, the concept is the same. Build the foundation and the rest becomes much more reliable.

Or at least, a lot less likely to do damage.

So let’s explore the three guys who can be those pillars and build this bullpen into a formidable force. We start with No. 3.

3. Blake Taylor

Trading Jake Marisnick kind of sucked just because I think we all really liked Marisnick. He was subtly clutch, a great fielder, tremendous speed. But it’s turned out that his final service to us was to get us Blake Taylor, a clutch left-handed reliever that’s looking like the kind of guy that has the stuff to be a closer, if we so desire.

With an ERA of just 1.20 and a LOB% of 96.7%, Taylor is a brick wall. He doesn’t walk a lot, he gets a lot of groundballs, and did I mention he’s a lefty?

If he can prove consistent, it’s a fantastic first step.

Step no. 2 up next.

Houston Astros, Andre Scrubb (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

2. Andre Scrubb

Andre Scrubb is an interesting case. It feels like he’s walking on a tight rope of disaster, just one bad outing away from never recovering and getting Brad Lidge-d out of dominance. That said, I’m not going to hold against him what hasn’t happened yet.

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As it stands. Scrubb is showing some nasty stuff, and his numbers are reflective of that. a 0.69 ERA? 95% LOB%? He’s yet to give up a home run. Opponents only hit .167 against him.

Scrubb is the real deal. He dances with danger, but when the moment asks for it, he bears down and gets the job done.

Am I worried that his FIP is 4.17? Am I worried that he’s just as likely to walk a batter than strike him out? Sure. But the point is, if Scrubb skews in the right direction, if he continues to be reliable in the clutch and can maintain this incredible and perhaps slightly lucky run of form, then what is luck anyway?

Scrubb is a potential pillar because he can embody this clutch mentality and become one of our go-to guys. He already is.

Lastly, No. 1.

Houston Astros, Ryan Pressly (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

1. Ryan Pressly

I picked the wrong time to pause this article and come back to it, because overnight, Pressly introduced a little chaos into the situation by blowing a save to the Rangers that lead to a loss, but the point stands—Pressly is crucial to the success of this bullpen.

If this bullpen and starting pitching staff can see a lead to the ninth inning, we have to know that Pressly is there to close the door. The quickest way to see that confidence shaken is to start ruining the good work that the bullpen does put in. Or, even worse, when they struggle, similarly struggling. Young guys need to know that when they and the game off to their closer, that their work won’t get spoiled.

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It’s been spoiled a couple of times this year, but we also have to remember that Pressly is not a regular closer. He’s used to being the set-up guy. Still, there’s no one else now. It’s Pressly’s gig and we have to be able to count on him.

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