3 mistakes Astros could make in December to ruin their 2025 season

2. Fail to pick up critical bullpen depth to take the heat off Josh Hader, Ryan Pressly and Bryan Abreu

Houston Astros relievers accounted for 555 1/3 innings last season. Three pitchers - Josh Hader, Ryan Pressly and Bryan Abreu - combined for 205 1/3 of them, nearly 40 percent of that total.

Hader was far from perfect in the first year of his record-setting five-year, $95 million contract, posting an ERA over 5.00 in three separate months (March/April, July and September) and finishing the season at a 3.80 mark - a far cry from the 1.28 ERA he carried as an All-Star with the San Diego Padres in 2023.

Abreu was a key piece as well, but his numbers trended in the wrong direction while he set career highs in appearances and innings pitched. His ERA rose from 1.75 to 3.10, although most of his peripheral numbers were in line with his 2023 performance. The right-hander has made over 200 appearances since the start of the 2022 season - the sixth-most in baseball during that stretch.

At age 35, Pressly continued to deliver for the Astros, making 59 appearances and working to a 3.49 ERA in 2024. By eclipsing 50 appearances for the second straight year, his $14 million mutual option for 2025 is now guaranteed - and that's created another dilemma for Brown and the Houston front office.

Given their payroll situation, the Astros are looking for someone to take on Pressly in hopes of unloading that salary and creating a little more financial flexibility. The veteran right-hander is still a reliable bullpen arm, but that price tag is alarming, given the red flags that popped up this year.

His strikeout rate dropped and walk rate climbed. His whiff rate fell sharply and hitters weren't chasing at quite the same level as in the past. The hard truth is this guy has been ridden hard in his career and, while he's played a key role for the Astros during this run, their best bet is to move him and re-invest those dollars in the bullpen, helping lighten the load of Hader and Abreu and, hopefully, allowing both to return to peak form in 2025.