Astros Rumors: Ranking the Remaining Potential Additions to the Bullpen

Previewing potential additions to Houston's bullpen

The bullpen was undoubtedly one of the Astros' strengths for the 2022 season. Houston rode their relievers all the way to a World Series championship. After re-signing Rafael Montero, all of Houston's key pieces are back.

Will Smith has become a free agent, leaving a roster spot available for another bullpen arm. Does Houston add another flame-thrower? Is there a potential reclamation project in the works? Do the Astros finally get Dusty a trustworthy lefty?

One thing is for sure--no team can have enough arms in today's games. Let's take a look at the available bullpen arms that Houston should look to add.

4) Brad Hand

Hand is a reliever that has been whispered about as a potential Astro for years. Houston of course just stared him down in the World Series. If he wants to make another deep October run, he should consider a place in the opposite dugout for 2023.

From 2016-2020, Hand was a top reliever in the game. He came back down to earth slightly in 2021, but rebounded nicely for the Phillies in 2022. His 2.80 ERA in 55 innings pitched does outperform his expected era on Statcast but his 26.9% hard hit rate was the second lowest of his career.

His wipeout slider is still there, and the Astros have made a living with both starters and relievers that posses devastating sweepers. If the Astros get the Hand of 2016-2020, their already historically dominant bullpen gets even better. If the Hand of the last two seasons shows up, they've got a 3.45 ERA reliever that has a proven ability to get outs.

Hand played out his one year deal in Philly for $6 million. It may very well be worth a similar deal for Houston.

3) Michael Fulmer

The lone right-hander to appear on the list, Michael Fulmer is another reliever that feels destined to have been an Astro over time. In his six year career, Fulmer has a 3.89 ERA, but that is largely inflated as the Tigers couldn't decide whether to deploy him as a starter or reliever.

For his career, Fulmer carries a 2.98 ERA out of the bullpen. In his most recent campaign, Fulmer posted a 3.39 ERA over 63.2 innings split between the Tigers and Twins.

His pitching profile would be a perfect fit in Houston. He spins an above-league average in MPH slider 63% of the time. His 1.14 wsl/C (an alphabet soup that is basically a weighted runs above average per 100 pitches puts him in the company of Luis Castillo, Justin Verlander and Spencer Strider. Pair a wipeout slider with a fastball with above-average spin and you've got a lab-built Astro pitcher.

He's a perfect middle innings arm for Houston that can step into a leverage role if arms like Pressly and Montero have worked back-to-back days.

2) Lucas Luetge

Lucas Luetge was the focal point of our player spotlight piece earlier today. What he brings to the Astros cannot be spoken of highly enough. Over the last two seasons in New York, he has pitched to a 2.71 ERA and carries a 1.25 WHIP over 129.2 innings. It seems like a no-brainer he'd have stayed a Yankee, especially since Michael Brantley gives the Astros a third left-handed bat.

But our friends out in New York aren't exactly known for their wise decision making. They stunningly DFA'd one of their best relievers over the last two seasons. The Astros committee of general managers should pounce.

Luetge finished 2022 in the 100th percentile of hard hit percentage and 97th in average exit velocity. Dusty Baker has been pleading for a left-hander that can get outs. Luetge is just that.

It seems a foregone conclusion that each year the Astros will send New York packing in the postseason. I can't think of a better way to do so in 2023 than with a former Yankee wiping them away.

1) Andrew Chafin

Andrew Chafin is another of the long rumored Astros bullpen targets that makes too much sense for Houston not to pounce.

Chafin finished 2022 with a 2.83 ERA in 57.1 innings on the back of an elite fastball/slider repertoire. He actually posted reverse splits in 2022, holding righties to a well below average .586 OPS and lefties to a .665 OPS.

Equally eye-opening are his Statcast metrics. Chafin's baseball savant page is littered with red, finishing the year in the 89th percentile in chase rate, 87th percentile in whiff rate, 86th percentile in xBA and xSLG, 84th percentile in xERA/xwOBA and 81st percentile in hard hit rate. Look back through his nine year big league career and you'll find more red on his baseball savant page than you will on Santa's sleigh.

Over the last two seasons, Chafin has thrown a sinker over 40% of the time. He's not had tremendous success with the pitch. Last year opponents hit .319 and slugged .440 on the pitch.

For comparison's sake, opponents hit .085 with a .127 slugging percentage on his slider. It's easy to see a situation where Chafin comes to Houston and they have him go heavy on the slider with his four-seamer as a secondary pitch to terrorize opposing hitters.

On paper, the Astros have one of the best rosters in baseball. They really don't posses a weakness. By adding Chafin, they just double down on their greatest strength and make an already dominant bullpen even more unhittable.