Under-the-radar Astros bullpen addition could be poised for larger role than expected

While there are some long-term issues to contend with and Josh Hader's health is a question mark, the Houston Astros' bullpen has a chance to be a bright spot in 2026. Assuming Hader can, indeed, stay healthy, he and Bryan Abreu would comprise one of the best 1-2 tandems at the end of games in all of baseball. On top of that, it sounds like a new face could be in line for some high-leverage innings.

When the Astros traded for Kai-Wei Teng in late January, little was thought of the move. Teng wasn't uninteresting, but one can only be so excited for a guy with a 6.37 ERA in limited playing time for a team that plays in a notoriously pitcher-friendly park. For most outside observers, the trade was a depth move and little else.

However, the Astros clearly saw more than that. In fact, according to a recent Q&A mailbag courtesy of The Athletic's Chandler Rome, Teng could be a guy Houston turns to when they need a right-handed arm in a big spot, especially if they are looking to stay away from Abreu for whatever reason.

Kai-Wei Teng is gaining momentum towards being a key piece of the Astros' bullpen

At first glance, one could wonder why Houston would even be entertaining using Teng in important spots. Yes, the Astros don't have a ton of righty relievers, which helps his cause a great deal, but this is a guy that doesn't throw particularly hard, and in a small sample, Teng hasn't excelled at inducing ground balls or finding the strike zone consistently.

However, what Teng DOES do is strike guys out and induce weak contact, even if that contact isn't ground balls necessarily. Again, small sample size warning applies, but striking out 39 batters in 29.2 innings in 2025 is certainly something to build on, especially when it comes with elite barrel and hard hit rates. From that perspective, it is easy to see why Dana Brown's gut told him to go after Teng.

Now, Teng is going to have to rein in the walks a bit if Houston is going to rely on him in big spots. While Teng has pitched pretty well in spring training, he has walked four batters in 5.2 innings of work so far. If he can find the strike zone more can get more utility out of his fastball, the Astros could have something on their hands in Teng.