Houston Astros: Tony Watson should be main priority right now

Thus far, no reports have claimed teams are in talks with reliable reliever Tony Watson. The Houston Astros, in need of a left-handed bullpen guy, should change that.

While the hot stove season has cooled, the Houston Astros have an opportunity to reignite it. The Colorado Rockies did their best to garner attention by signing Wade Davis to the most expensive contract for any reliever ever — in year by year salary.

Houston doesn’t need to sign someone that requires an enormous contract. But the Astros can still haggle in the hopes that players will accept, considering their World Series chances.

Tony Watson was the enemy in the Fall Classic last season. However, he’s exactly what Houston and manager A.J. Hinch need in the bullpen – a left-handed reliever. Despite his higher cost, he would be invaluable compared to the rest of the southpaws on the market.

The Astros have a group of left-handers already in the relief corps, but they are either inexperienced or struggled in recent seasons.

Cionel Perez couldn’t escape single-A during last season after doing poorly for the Double-A squad. Reymin Guduan pitched 16 innings in the big leagues in 2017 but allowed 14 runs and yielded 12 walks for an extremely high 2.25 WHIP. He also never reached an ERA below five in his two stints for the Triple-A team in Fresno.

Anthony Gose provides a feel-good story, considering that he altered his position halfway through his career. The former center fielder now throws mid-90s heat on the mound. While he racked up strikeouts in High-A ball, he still allowed far too many runs.

Both southpaw pen pitchers from last season – Tony Sipp and Francisco Liriano – might not be at Minute Maid Park at all in 2018. Sipp boasted an unimpressive 5.79 ERA this year while Liriano has yet to be re-signed.

The front office doesn’t have limited options, and it can acquire a dirt-cheap lefty reliever. But considering the team currently has no other immediate needs on the roster, pursuing Watson could be worthwhile.

No reports this offseason claimed the former closer is in talks with any team. Houston may have already inquired the 32-year-old, but it wouldn’t hurt to try again.

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Watson didn’t have his best year in 2017, but he is capable of shutting down opponents in the later innings. Much of his troubles last season were in Pittsburgh, as he posted a 2.70 ERA in Los Angeles while striking out eight hitters per nine innings.

Prior to 2017, the former All-Star piece together four consecutive seasons in which his WHIP was lower than 1.10 overall. And he fared best against hitters as the Pirates’ setup man.

The Astros have a crew of accomplished setup men on the roster. None are lefties.

Watson possesses several qualities a strong reliever has. He doesn’t allow many home runs, and he primarily induces ground balls in his outings. He is most dominant against left-handed hitters, with a ground ball rate higher than 50 percent against them.

Nevertheless, what could – and should – push Houston to contact the talented reliever is his experience in the postseason.

Watson has pitched in the playoffs on three separate occasions and doing reasonably well each time. While he didn’t piece together an Andrew Miller-like campaign, he was still a serviceable option.

General manager Jeff Luhnow may not push hard for Watson because of the money involved. The lefty might ask for a $10 million deal across several years. And if Watson or his agent genuinely ask for the moon despite his recent regression, the front office doesn’t have to accept.

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He’s the best southpaw reliever on the free agent market. The Astros don’t need a savior in their pen. They have the pieces to be once again a World Series contender.

But having Watson as a go-to weapon in just about any game would be an excellent asset for Houston as it attempts to win back-to-back championships.

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