Houston could use some bullpen arms to shore up the backend late in games.
At the Winter Meetings this week in Orlando, Houston Astros manager Joe Espada spoke about wanting to decrease Bryan Abreu’s number of outings of getting more than three outs, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic (subscription required).
In 2025, Abreu needed to get more than three outs 10 times.
A lot of that had to do with Josh Hader’s shoulder strain.
“Espada acknowledged Monday that he is “looking for ways to take that fourth out of Abreu’s hands early in the season” in an effort to maintain health for one of baseball’s most underrated relievers,” wrote Rome.
The Astros could turn to some of their younger arms to fill that void if they are going to cut down Abreu’s workload in 2026, but they would be wise to look at the free agent market to add a veteran.
There are plenty of options that still remain.
One name that has worked in some high-leverage situations with contenders is right-hander Tommy Kahnle.
Could the Astros Sign Tommy Kahnle in Free Agency?
The 35-year-old Kahnle signed last January with the Detroit Tigers on a one-year, $7.75 million contract.
He struggled at times for manager A.J. Hinch with a 4.43 ERA in 63 innings with 16 holds and 50 strikeouts.
