Bullpen is biggest question in camp
Closer role to be decided in spring
Six weeks in West Palm Beach, Fla., portend little drama for the Astros. The roster reporting to spring training this year offers far more continuity than competition. Projecting a full lineup is possible. Six starters from last year’s rotation return.
It might not promise the most compelling camp. But there are some roster questions to be resolved as the Astros converge in south Florida to begin their quest for a third World Series appearance in four years. Houston’s first workout for pitchers and catchers is Wednesday, and its first full-squad workout is Monday.
Here are five storylines to follow in Astros camp this spring:
Bullpen structure
Houston has yet to publicly name a closer between incumbent Ryan Pressly and marquee addition Josh Hader. One will presumably assume the title. New manager Joe Espada said last month he believes late-inning relievers should have clearly defined roles. But Espada deferred assigning any until camp.
While Hader, Pressly and Bryan Abreu give the Astros arguably the majors’ best bullpen trio, the rest of the unit is less defined. Rafael Montero is the one other lock in a bullpen that lost veterans Phil Maton, Hector Neris and Ryne Stanek to free agency, making the group Houston’s main source of spring intrigue.
Candidates for spots include Forrest Whitley, the former top pitching prospect who will convert to relief in camp; Bennett Sousa, who impressed the Astros in a September cameo last year; and Dylan Coleman, the righthander acquired from the Royals in a December trade.
Brandon Bielak, Seth Martinez and Ronel Blanco are among returning candidates. Bielak is out of minor-league options. Houston will also begin camp with six rotation candidates, one of whom could open the season in a relief role. The Astros are counting on some of those internal options to emerge.
Can Diaz take command?
Catcher is the site of the Astros’ most critical on-field transition. Yainer Diaz, 25, will assume primary catching duties from Martín Maldonado, who exited in free agency. Houston signed Victor Caratini for a proven backup but intends to give Diaz the majority of playing time behind the plate.
Diaz is an offensive upgrade who graded well in defensive metrics for blocking and throw
ing as a rookie last season but wields far less experience than Maldonado in game-calling and handling a pitching staff. The latter applies especially to several of the Astros’ front-line starters.
Diaz did not catch any of Justin Verlander or Framber Valdez’s starts last season and worked only twice with Cristian Javier. Moving past that unfamiliarity falls on all involved. But Diaz especially might need to use spring games to display defensive strides and engender the confidence of his veteran pitchers.
Last month, Diaz said he has talked with Valdez this offseason in an attempt to strengthen their rapport and aims to be more vocal this season, a concerted effort for the soft-spoken receiver. His growth is key for the Astros, who are entrusting him with the job after 42 major league starts.
Focus on defense
One of baseball’s top defensive teams in previous years, the Astros encountered a relative regression in that area last season. Addressing the slippage is a stated goal of Espada’s this spring.
Houston rated 16th in the majors in defensive runs saved in 2023, per Sports Info Solutions, after finishing in the top five in each of the four prior 162-game seasons. Amid some strong individual seasons — Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker and Mauricio Dubón were Gold Glove finalists, with Dubón contributing to a good showing in center field — the Astros made more throwing errors (47, tied for fifth most in MLB) and fundamental mistakes.
Some Astros pitchers also struggled to hold runners, an issue magnified by the new pitch timer and limits on pickoff throws. The Astros caught 20% of would-be basestealers, matching the MLB average, yet more aggressive teams took advantage of them at times. Diaz owns an excellent throwing arm, but it was often neutralized by the jumps opposing runners got against his pitchers.
Espada said early this winter the Astros must “be better at doing the small stuff” this season. New bench coach Omar López noted “we have to make some adjustments as well” in response to a leaguewide rise in stolen-base attempts. Doing so figures to be an integral part of their work at West Palm Beach.
Primed to impress
It will be difficult for any of Houston’s young prospects to make the majorleague roster out of camp, but a few could position themselves for in-season consideration with a strong showing.
Joey Loperfido and Spencer Arrighetti, the Astros’ minor league player and pitcher of the year in 2023, respectively, are among first-time invitees to big league camp. Loperfido, an outfielder who jumped to Class AAA last year, slashed .296/.392/.548 with 19 home runs and 20 steals in 84 games at Class AA. Arrighetti, the system’s top pitching prospect, held opponents to a .217 average in 1242⁄3 minor league innings.
Outfielder Jacob Melton, the Astros’ consensus top prospect, and infielder Will Wagner, who hit his way to a late-season Class AAA cameo, will also be in MLB camp. General manager Dana Brown has voiced his eagerness to watch the young players this spring. Loperfido, Melton and Wagner are lefthanded hitters, a commodity relatively thin on Houston’s roster. All should have a chance to make an impression.
“You guys will see our next generation of players playing early,” Espada said.
“I want to get an opportunity to watch them. I want to get familiar with what they can do.”
Extension candidates
The Astros locked up one franchise cornerstone last week, signing Jose Altuve to a five-year, $125 million extension through 2029. Attention now turns to Bregman, an impending free agent next offseason.
Altuve and Bregman are represented by agent Scott Boras but present different cases. Bregman turns 30 in March and might be inclined to seek a longer contract than Altuve, who will be 34 this year and said prior to signing his extension that he hoped to finish his career with Houston. The Astros have not awarded an extension longer than six years or larger than $150 million under owner Jim Crane.
Crane and Brown have both said the Astros will make Bregman a long-term offer at some point. Brown said Thursday there is no timetable for that. Boras has said Bregman is “open to listening” to the Astros in extension talks.
Tucker and Valdez, who are both under team control through 2025, are the next two most evident extension candidates but would also be likely to seek a significant commitment. Last spring, Brown engaged both players’ camps in talks that stalled without long-term deals.
Tucker then compiled a 2023 season in which he led the American League in RBIS, earned his second All-star selection and finished fifth in AL MVP voting. Valdez was also named an All-star, placed ninth in AL Cy Young voting and threw his first career nohitter.
Brown said Thursday that Bregman’s situation is the Astros’ primary focus, noting Tucker and Valdez are under control for two more seasons. Brown said he has spoken with Tucker’s agent, “but we haven’t got into anything serious … We’ll have some conversations at some point.”