With recent rumors suggesting the Houston Astros were entertaining a reunion with Ryan Pressly after he was cut loose by the Chicago Cubs, the impression is that the Astros are looking for help in their bullpen during the final two months of the season. While Pressly is entertaining interest from the Minnesota Twins, the Astros are turning their attention to Enyel De Los Santos.
Mike Rodriguez was first to report that the Astros are signing De Los Santos to a Major League contract. De Los Santos was outrighted by the Braves earlier this week, so chances are they didn't stand in the way of a 29-year-old veteran landing with the Astros.
With De Los Santos landing a Major League deal with the Astros, Brian McTaggart had the full details of the roster implications.
Astros have signed RHP Enyel De Los Santos to a Major League contract. He is scheduled to join the club in New York City in time for tomorrow’s series opener vs. the Yankees. De Los Santos, 29, was 3-3 in 43 relief appearances for the Braves in 2025 with a 4.53 ERA.
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) August 7, 2025
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It certainly wasn't the most encouraging result for De Los Santos during his time with the Braves this season. In 43 appearances, De Los Santos posted an ERA of 4.53 while striking out 20 percent of the hitters he has faced this season.
The under-the-hood numbers speak to the Astros potentially thinking De Los Santos could be a quick-fix candidate, sitting with an xERA of 3.77 and FIP of 3.34. A quick scan through De Los Santos' Baseball Savant page also suggests there is potential that could be unlocked with the Astros, especially when it comes to his fastball value. If there were to be a team to get the most out of De Los Santos, it almost certainly would be the Astros.
Astros sign bullpen project Braves gave up on and hope to fix him
If the Astros were deciding between bringing back Pressly or taking a gamble on De Los Santos, it makes sense why they chose the Braves' reject. There's nothing about Pressly's profile that suggests he has more left in the tank. With the Astros angling toward putting their roster in the best shape ahead of the postseason, adding De Los Santos is closer to being aligned with that goal.
It's also worth noting that despite the number of relievers that were on the move at the deadline, the Astros sat out of that market. Perhaps a pivot away from their chase of Dylan Cease during the closing hours of the deadline, and focusing on adding a high-leverage relief pitcher would have been in their best interest.
