Stanek added to bullpen mix
Lifeless for the first two months of free agency, the Astros started addressing a pressing need Wednesday, adding to a depleted bullpen.
Houston signed freeagent righthander Ryne Stanek to a one-year contract worth $1.1 million. Though Stanek affords sorely needed bullpen depth, the Astros are banking on a bounce-back from the 29-year- old flamethrower after a forgettable 2020 season. If he engineers one, Stanek seems primed to secure crucial outs late in games.
“When we talked, he was adamant about looking for an opportunity to earn a leverage role in a bullpen,” Astros general manager James Click said. “I think we have that here, and it seemed like a natural fit.”
Stanek overlapped with Click during his tenure in Tampa Bay. The Rays selected Stanek in the first round of the 2013 draft. Beginning in 2017, he made 121 major league appearances for Tampa, posting a 3.55 ERA and striking out 10.8 batters per nine innings.
Tampa traded Stanek to the Marlins in July 2019, beginning a precipitous decline. Stanek had a 6.03 ERA and allowed seven home runs in 311⁄ innings
3 with them. He threw only 10 innings during Miami’s 2020 season, surrendering 11 hits and eight earned runs.
Miami did not tender Stanek a contract for the 2021 season. He has three seasons under Astros control remaining.
“Obviously, sometimes guys have rough seasons, but guys with this kind of talent have shown an ability to bounce back, and that’s what we’re banking on,” Click said.
Stanek has a 4.00 ERA in 173 1⁄ major league in
3 nings. He served as an opener for most of his Rays tenure but profiles as amore traditional reliever within the Astros’ pitching hierarchy.
Stanek is a hard thrower with a three-pitch mix: a four-seam fastball that averages 97.7 mph complemented by a slider and splitter. Righthanded hitters have a career .750OPS against him, while lefties have posted just a .663 mark. Control can be an issue for Stanek, who has walked 4.5 batters per nine innings and has a career WHIP of 1.321.
Both Click and Stanek believe he can earn a highleverage role in manager Dusty Baker’s bullpen — one that returns closer Ryan Pressly, veteran sidearmer Joe Smith and few other veteran options to finish games.
“He thinks he has it,” Click said. “I know our pitching coaches have taken a look at him, and they’re impressed with what he has. Hopefully being fully healthy and being back out there on the mound and having that stuff in his arsenal, he can earn one of those leverage roles in the bullpen.”
Stanek’s addition seems only the start of Click’s offseason. In December, the first-year generalmanager preached patience with the process, saying the roster might not be finished even when the team reports to spring training.
In an interview last month, Baker made it clear Click was prioritizing the bullpen. Stanek satisfies that need, but the reliever market is still full of intriguing names. Former White Sox closer Alex Colome — whom Click also knows from Tampa — is available. So are former Cleveland closer Brad Hand and menacing former A’s finisher Liam Hendriks. All seem to be targets.
“I think there’s always room for extra relievers, especially high-leverage relievers,” Click said Wednesday. “We expect to have a lot of high leverage innings coming up this year, hopefully late into the season. So we’re going to try to assemble as many weapons as we can out there to get those big outs.”