Astros Predicted To Cut Ties With Key Bullpen Arm This Winter

The Houston Astros head into the offseason with a lot more questions than answers. General manager Dana Brown parted ways with the club in late August and manager Joe Espada has questions about whether or not he'll return next season. That might not be determined until the next decision-maker is hired in Houston.

The same goes for the roster and how it's built once the boss is hired, but there will be decisions to make about free agents, who to retain and who to let walk. One of the tougher decisions is going to surround relief pitcher Bryan Abreu. While he has been a key piece of the Astros bullpen, it might be time to let him walk in free agency, something that Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report predicted would happen this winter.

There were rumors going all the way back to the trade deadline in early August that Abreu could have been on the move, but in the end, he was retained. After a forgetful March and April, Abreu had his moments, especially in July and August where his ERA was the second-best, below 2.00.

"Even in what was statistically the worst season of his career, Abreu still posted a 3.73 ERA with nine saves and 16 holds in 66 appearances. His 29.9 percent strikeout rate was still elite, but it was accompanied by a 15.3 percent walk rate. A multi-year deal awaits from a contender confident it can dial in his command, while Miguel Ullola gives Houston a potential replacement in high-leverage spots,'' wrote Reuters.

One question that needs answering before handing the 29-year-old a multi-year contract is how much of a window is there remaining for Houston? The core group is getting older, and Yordan Alvarez is someone to build around, but how long would a rebuild or even a retool look like?

Abreu was a big part of the Houston bullpen when Josh Hader missed some time out of spring training to start the season. Some blown saves created a stretch of baseball to close out the season that kept the American League West Division race going until the final day of the season with the Texas Rangers.

After 11 combined appearances in 2019 and 2020, Abreu became a key piece of the Astros bullpen in 2021 and has made 70-plus appearances in the last three seasons before seeing the number dip to 66 in 2026. When he's on, he still has very good stuff to be a key piece at the back end of a bullpen. The question is whether or not the Astros want to invest in him long-term, if there is a rebuild on the horizon. If there is a time to let him walk, it might be this winter.