The Houston Astros have a strong bullpen, but that doesn't mean more arms can't be added. Josh Hader will remain the closer, but more depth is always welcome, especially for a serious postseason contender like the Astros.
Dylan Sanders of Sports Illustrated proposed a deal that would send two prospects for a new reliever. He proposed sending Chase Jaworsky and Will Bush to the Pittsburgh Pirates for reliever Dennis Santana.
"Santana unlocked something in his game after being claimed by the Pittsburgh Pirates last year," Sanders writes, "And could be the missing piece to the puzzle for Houston's bullpen."
The Astros have Hader and Bryan Abreu, but outside of them, they could use some more depth. Santana would be a nice addition to the bullpen, as he's pitching at an All-Star level this season.
Across his 37 games for the Pirates this season, Santana has a 1.46 ERA, two wins, five saves, and only one loss. He's pitched 37 innings and struck out 28 batters and walked seven.
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While not a major strikeout artist, Santana would still be a nice addition to the Astros' bullpen. His 0.784 WHIP is great, and he'd be another righty reliever for the Astros to add to their bullpen.
The two prospects the Astros would give up in Sanders' proposed deal are reasonable compensation as well. Jaworsky is ranked 12th, and Bush is ranked 30th in the organization.
What makes this move even more sense is that Santana is under team control through the 2026 season as well. It wouldn't be a rental, as Houston would land a reliever for the rest of 2025 and the 2026 season.
For the Astros, the bullpen isn't a major need. They have the third-best bullpen ERA in baseball. But, further strengthening the bullpen is always a good idea, especially for a team with World Series aspirations.
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