The Houston Astros general manager, Dana Brown, made an intriguing statement regarding the players the team is reportedly still looking to add to their bullpen this offseason.
By now it’s pretty clear that the Houston Astros will not be major spenders this offseason and they probably won’t make a play to acquire an elite player in the trade market.
The front office was able to address two of their most important needs by signing a backup catcher and acquiring a reliever under club control via trade.
Still, following three departures from their bullpen who have been vital to that unit’s success, general manager Dana Brown might still have reliever on his wish list.
There’s been some rumblings that the Astros could reunite with one or more of the trio of departures. After all, they have familiarity with Ryne Stanek, Phil Maton and Hector Neris and know how they will fit into their clubhouse culture.
However, it’s unlikely that any of those three would return for the type of contract that Houston is seemingly looking for.
“I’m not interested in overpaying in the reliever market. I think we all value these guys and if it makes sense for us financially, we’ll go after it,” Brown said at the Winter Meetings.
Spotrac projects Maton’s value at roughly $4 million, Neris’ around $7.5 million and no estimate for Stanek.
What constitutes an overpay only Brown knows, but they are working with a limited budget that made the GM say “it’ll be tough” to address all their needs due to these circumstances.
That likely puts a damper on the possibility of reuniting with any of their former relievers who have hit the open market.
Brown has also mentioned that his goal is to get more youth into the mix on their Major League roster throughout the 2024 season.
That could cause him to use more of their pitching prospects to address their bullpen depth instead of spending money on the open market.
One thing is clear. They will not spend major money this offseason.
