Free agency for Bryan Abreu, Steven Okert shape bullpen decisions | Houston Astros roster analysis

Last in a series on the Houston Astros ' 2026 season, which ended with an AL West title but a sweep in the opening round of the playoffs.

April did not indicate the asset this year's Houston Astros bullpen would become. With its closer absent and set-up man struggling, the relief corps performed as the majors' worst in the opening month.

As the unit improved, so did the Astros. A resurgent bullpen was the backbone of Houston's turnaround that ultimately led to winning the American League West on the season's final day.

It was a trying season, as the overall numbers suggest. Astros relievers ranked 17th in the majors in ERA (4.08), though with the ninth-lowest opponents' average (.227) and 10th-highest strikeout rate (23.7%).

No team had fewer blown saves, largely reflecting the reliability Josh Hader lent upon his return in June. Looking ahead, Hader appears a rare certainty in a group poised to experience some turnover.

For most of the season, Houston's bullpen ranked among the most effective in baseball. From May 1 on, Astros relievers had the majors' eighth-lowest ERA (3.43), seventh-highest strikeout rate (24.3%), fourth-lowest walk rate (8.4%) and third-lowest opponents' average (.217).

Hader, who missed the first two months recovering from biceps tendinitis, anchored the effort after his return. In 45 outings, Hader posted a 1.01 ERA and was 26-for-26 in save opportunities. Among pitchers with at least 40 innings, Hader owned the lowest ERA and opponents' average (.125).

Bryan Abreu, after a terrible April, posted a 2.19 ERA in his final 55 outings. Steven Okert had a 2.13 ERA over a team-leading 68 appearances. AJ Blubaugh, the rookie right-hander, led the majors with 96 relief innings, posted a 3.66 ERA and became a late-season leverage option.

The late-game mix proved stout. The Astros were 60-5 when leading after six innings and their 14 blown saves tied with Boston for the fewest in the majors. Just four clubs' relievers allowed a lower percentage of inherited runners to score.

Trouble bookended a largely successful campaign. The first month was disastrous, as Houston's bullpen compiled a 6.63 ERA and a 14.4% walk rate through the end of April, highest in the sport. Abreu's start contributed, while offseason additions Ryan Weiss and Roddery Muñoz struggled before demotions.

Though it stabilized after April, the Astros bullpen threw the sixth-most innings in the majors during the season, due mainly to lack of reliability in the starting rotation. And the season's final month suggested that workload caught up with the unit.

Houston's bullpen posted a 4.15 ERA in September. Okert missed the final month with a hamstring strain and Enyel De Los Santos, who tied for the team's second-most relief outings, finished on the IL with knee tendinitis. Blubaugh was scored upon in six of his final 10 appearances.

Astros relievers totaled the fifth-most appearances of more than three outs. Blubaugh led the majors in that category. In total, Houston's bullpen threw 662⅓ innings. The previous franchise record was 581⅓ innings in 2003, per FanGraphs.

437: Fastballs thrown by Astros relievers at 97 mph or faster in 2026.

Just two teams, the Tigers and Rangers, saw their relievers throw fewer fastballs of 97 mph or faster this season, per Baseball Savant. Eighteen bullpens recorded at least twice as many such fastballs. Velocity is not the end-all, but its proliferation in the sport is obvious. Game 1 of the wild-card series, in which the Astros and White Sox both threw bullpen games, displayed their relievers' disparity in power stuff.

The 97 mph mark may be an arbitrary number but consider: Fastballs thrown by relievers under 97 mph this season yielded a .268/.361/.433 slash line league-wide, per Baseball Savant. Those thrown 97 mph or higher produced a slash line of .227/.321/.333.

Blubaugh accounted for 38.4% of the Astros bullpen's total of fastballs at 97 mph and above. Just four other relievers threw at least 10 such pitches. Nate Pearson, who threw the second-most, was designated for assignment and traded to the Royals. Abreu ranked third. Christian Roa and Weiss were the others; both were designated for assignment and ended the season at Triple-A Sugar Land.

Again, the Astros fielded a top-10 bullpen by ERA and opponents' average this year without widespread top-end velocity. But the gap there compared to many other major-league teams invites the question of whether they should look to add some.

Abreu, Okert and De Los Santos are all poised to become free agents this winter. Abreu was one of the majors' most dominant relievers from 2023-25, and salvaging a poor start this season will make for an intriguing first foray onto the market. After the wild-card series, Abreu said "we always have the doors open" when asked about a possible return to Houston.

Okert compiled a 2.58 ERA in 136 outings over the last two seasons for Houston, raising his free-agent profile. De Los Santos posted a 4.79 ERA in 66 appearances this season.

Bennett Sousa, who had a 6.00 ERA in 35 outings, is the only reliever eligible for salary arbitration this winter. MLB Trade Rumors projects Sousa will receive $1.3 million in 2027. Ronel Blanco did work as a swingman after returning from elbow surgery and is also arb-eligible. Blanco is projected to earn $1.4 million by MLB Trade Rumors.

Blubaugh, Bryan King and Kai-Wei Teng, who all made at least 30 appearances this season, are in their pre-arbitration years. Hader is entering the fourth season of a five-year, $95 million contract.

Right-handers Miguel Ullola and Alimber Santa both debuted this season and impressed in short major-league samples. Santa posted a 1.17 ERA in 10 outings. Ullola had a 2.16 ERA over 11 appearances and threw three innings in Game 1 of the wild-card series. Both are on the 40-man roster and positioned to vie for roles next spring.

Muñoz flamed out in Houston's bullpen but posted a 3.06 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 53 innings at Triple-A. Jackson Nezuh, ranked the Astros' No. 16 prospect by MLB Pipeline, made half of his 12 outings at Triple-A in relief with a 3.58 ERA. Michael Knorr, a third-round pick in 2022, had a 4.30 ERA in 28 relief outings for Sugar Land.

Alex Santos II, drafted 72nd overall by the Astros in 2020, toiled for years amid struggles and injuries but pitched well after moving to a full-time relief role this season. Santos had a 3.38 ERA with 82 strikeouts in 53⅓ innings at Double-A Corpus Christi before a late promotion to Triple-A, where he posted a 0.77 ERA in 10 outings.

Entering this year, the main question was how Hader would respond to his first career injury absence. He answered it emphatically. After a 10-month hiatus that included a shoulder capsule sprain and a biceps issue, Hader was dominant for the season's final four months. Barring unforeseen trade talks this winter, the Astros will have the ninth inning covered.

How they'll get there in 2027 is the question. Abreu and Okert, their top two set-up men this season, are set to be free agents. Four other relievers had double-digit holds for them this year. They included King, who posted an 11.32 ERA in his last 22 major-league outings, and Sousa, who had a 6.00 ERA and missed time due to injuries. Blubaugh and De Los Santos, another impending free agent, were the others.

Blubaugh was valuable for Houston as a multi-innings option capable of entering games at any time. The Astros started using him in higher-leverage situations late in the season, but he is still relatively new to that role. Ullola and Santa intrigued but have minimal major-league experience. Teng had a 3.64 ERA in his relief outings but struggled with walks and also lacks a late-game track record.

Houston could explore reunions with Abreu or Okert, or outside additions. Eschewing them would risk entering next year with a largely unseasoned relief corps outside of Hader. Okert, initially signed to a minor-league deal prior to the 2025 season, exemplifies the kind of lower-profile acquisition who can become an impactful part of a bullpen, the most volatile area in baseball.

Four relievers - Hader, Okert, Blubaugh and Abreu - ranked among the top six Astros pitchers in wins above replacement this year, per Baseball Reference, illustrating how thoroughly the bullpen helped keep Houston afloat. Any bullpen anchored by Hader has strong potential, and Blubaugh was among their season's brightest spots. But the Astros face decisions this offseason on whether to try to retain some important arms or, if not, how to replace them.

Oct. 11: Rotation Oct. 12: First base Oct. 13: Second base Oct. 14: Shortstop Oct. 18: Third base Oct. 19: Catcher Oct. 20: Left field Oct. 21 : Center field Oct. 22: Right field Oct. 23: Designated hitter