Joe Espada sent a clear message to Bryan Abreu (and the rest of the Astros bullpen)

During Tuesday's game against the Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros manager Joe Espada made a rather bold (but certainly warranted) decision. Rather than turning to his newly elevated closer Bryan Abreu in the ninth inning while nursing a one-run lead, Espada gave Bryan King a chance to seal the win.

King, who was looking to secure a five-out save, couldn't close the door on the Rockies in the ninth, and Espada then turned to Enyel De Los Santos to get the final out of the game. Colorado's Jordan Beck was called out on strikes, and the Astros finally ended that perplexing eight-game losing streak.

The story afterward, however, was not the move that Espada made, but the one he didn't make. Abreu has been Houston's go-to reliever in the ninth inning while Josh Hader is on the mend, but Espada may be looking for a new closer until the six-time All-Star returns from the IL.

Once it was announced that Hader was not going to be part of the Astros Opening Day roster, every single fan just assumed that Abreu would be up to the task of closing out games in his absence. Instead, the right-hander has looked horrendous.

In seven relief appearances, Abreu is 0-2 with a 16.20 ERA and 13.56 FIP. He's walked more batters (11) than he's struck out (12), and his fastball is getting absolutely tattooed. Though he may not have a blown save on his ledger, his performance has raised some serious questions about his role moving forward.

Is Bryan Abreu still the Astros closer?

Espada's decision to go with King (and eventually De Los Santos) over Abreu might signal a return to a setup role for the 28-year-old. It's a spot he's thrived in for years, and one that might benefit the Astros over the long run.

Abreu has been the bridge to Hader the past two seasons. In that role, he logged nearly 150 innings of work over 148 appearances and posted a 2.71 ERA with a 2.96 FIP. Abreu's fastball was effective during that two-year span, but it was his slider that opposing batters struggled to hit. Even that pitch has been rendered worthless so far this season

At the very least, Espada's decision showed Abreu and the rest of the Astros bullpen that actions have consequences. King has been the Astros' best reliever to open the season, and he was given a chance to prove it. It'll be very interesting to see how Espada manages the backend of the bullpen moving forward — at least until Hader returns.

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