Houston Astros still interested in relief pitching options

Despite outbidding the New York Yankees for free agent reliever Andrew Miller, the Houston Astros came up empty in their search to fortify the back end of the bullpen that – despite countless options last year – never put things together last season.

"astros were in on miller. still in on robertson, romo, many other relievers— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 5, 2014"

Miller signed a four-year, $36 million deal with New York on Friday, likely spelling the end of David Robertson‘s time in pinstripes. Robertson, who served as the team’s closer in 2014, replacing the legendary Mariano Rivera, is tied to draft pick compensation, meaning the Yankees will receive something even after signing Miller. However, according to the New York Post, Houston and Robertson could be nothing more than a leverage game for the soon-to-be 30-year-old.

"“They think he is using the [Astros] for leverage,’’ a person familiar with the Astros told the Post."

Another person who spoke to the Post echoed those thoughts.

"“It sure sounds like it was for leverage,’’ another person said of Robertson’s dalliance with the Astros. “He doesn’t fit with the Astros."

The right-hander could return to New York, which would give manager Joe Girardi a dominant eighth-ninth option of Miller and Robertson in 2015. Last season, he nailed down 39-of-44 save opportunities and, combined with Dellin Betances, who finished second with the American League Rookie of the Year voting – could quickly fortify the Bronx Bombers relief corps.

Betances himself could be a closer option for New York, given his cheap price tag and dominant arsenal. Last season, the hard-throwing right-hander was simply electric, striking out 135 batters in 90 innings of work – during which he posted a 1.40 earned run average and 1.64 FIP. Should Yankees general manager Brian Cashman choose to stay in-house to address the ninth-inning, Robertson’s future becomes much less clear.

More from Houston Astros

Houston is not only interested in Robertson, but has also been tied to right-hander Sergio Romo, formerly of the San Francisco Giants. The bearded back-end reliever struggled a bit in 2014, but was a National League All-Star the year prior, notching 38 saves in 65 relief appearances. Even last year’s performance would be an astronomical improvement for Houston, who turned to options including Jose Veras and Chad Qualls. In all, the Houston relief corps had a 4.80 ERA – which ranked as the worst in all of baseball

Whether or not Houston lands Robertson remains a major question heading into the Winter Meetings, and with the Yankees still potentially in the mix, things are murkier than ever for Jeff Luhnow’s club. One thing is for certain – the Astros must address their bullpen issues ahead of the 2015 season.

Home/Houston Astros