Astros roster crunch is turning into a nightmare that could cost them two players

The battle for the final few spots on the Houston Astros Opening Day roster could cost the organization two of its most impressive arms. Both Roddery Muñoz and Peter Lambert have pitched well this spring, but if they fail to break camp with the big-league ball club, both players could be lost to another team.

Muñoz has been one of the most impressive arms in Astros camp since spring training began. In eight Grapefruit League contests, he's logged 8⅓ innings while striking out 14 batters and walking just one. He owns a 2.16 ERA, 0.69 FIP, and a ridiculous 38.9% strikeout rate.

But Muñoz is a Rule 5 Draft pick. He was selected from the Cincinnati Reds roster back in December, and there are certain restrictions that Houston must follow if they hope to keep him around. First, he must remain on the Astros active (26-man) roster throughout the entire regular season.

The Astros risk losing Roddery Muñoz and Peter Lambert

Muñoz is also out of minor-league options. So, if he's not headed to Houston for Opening Day, the Astros would have to pass him through outright waivers before assigning him to Triple-A. Then, the Astros must offer him back to his former team for $50,000 before he can accept an outright assignment. That's a lot of hurdles to jump through.

As for Lambert, his case is a bit more cut and dry. The 28-year-old has an opt-out clause attached to his minor-league deal. Lambert was a non-roster invite to spring training, but if Houston fails to add him to the 40-man roster, he has the option to void the remainder of his contract and seek a new deal with another team.

Like Muñoz, Lambert is out of minor league options. While the Rule 5 restrictions don't apply to Lambert, he can reject an outright assignment to Triple-A and re-enter the free agent market. He has a minuscule 1.00 ERA in nine innings of work this spring — something that will undoubtedly be appealing to other clubs.

The harsh reality, however, is that Houston has far too many talented relievers on the roster, and clinging to the likes of Muñoz and Lambert — two players without minor league options — doesn't make much sense. Kai-Wei Teng, Bennett Sousa, and Enyel De Los Santos are likely to grab the final few spots in the Astros bullpen, which means Muñoz and Lambert could be headed elsewhere next week.