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Every single contender could use more bullpen depth, which is why it has been kind of bizarre to see the reliever market developing so slowly this offseason. The Houston Astros were finally able to cash in on the need after tradeing Ryan Pressly to the Chicago Cubs and some of the bigger names are off the board finally, but there are still a number of quality relievers available with spring training just a couple weeks away.
One such reliever who is without a job is former Astros pitcher Kendall Graveman. When Houston traded for Graveman in 2023, the hope was for him to help lock down the late innings. However, shoulder surgery in January 2024 ended those hopes after a promising performance during the second half of 2023, and Graveman ended up missing the entire 2024 season.
Despite the lingering injury and age concerns, Graveman could have a new team relatively soon. It sounds like the right-hander is a rather popular name in free agency at the moment.
With relievers going off the board, one guy getting a lot of late interest is Kendall Graveman who is healthy after missing last season with a shoulder injury. Had back-to-back years of 60-plus appearances before going down. Lots of teams looking for set-up men after several…
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) January 30, 2025
Former Astros reliever Kendall Graveman is drawing significant interest in MLB free agency
When Graveman is right, he remains a top bullpen arm with an ability to miss bats. From 2021-2023, Graveman averaged 62 appearances a season with a 2.74 ERA and better than a strikeout an inning. While not a player that a team should deploy in the highest-leverage spots, he is a pitcher who can run out in the seventh or eighth inning, especially if he is facing a couple right-hander hitters.
That said, his health is far from a sure thing. While the reports reveal that Graveman's recovery has gone well, shoulder injuries are spooky, especially in pitchers on the wrong side of 30. Graveman's ability to find the strike zone reliably was already pretty iffy before he got hurt, so one has to wonder what he will look like post-surgery and if he will be able to have the same sort of power stuff he possessed previously.
For Graveman to get a chance to pitch for a contender again, he will likely have to take some sort of one -year "prove it" deal. The stuff is good enough to take the potential risk there, although any team looking to sign Graveman definitely shouldn't be offering a multi-year deal until he shows he is truly back.