Houston Astros
The Houston Astros and their talented young roster took MLB by storm last season and took home their first-ever World Series championship for the city of Houston.
The strength of their offense and the depth of their rotation covered what was a bit of a weak spot during the playoffs, their late-inning relievers. This was evident in the last few games of the World Series where they relied more on starters to finish games instead of established relievers.
In 2017, the Astros closer was Ken Giles. The 27-year-old pitched well during the regular season. He converted 34 out of 38 save opportunities and turned in an ERA of 2.30 and 83 strikes.
Although during the postseason, the hard-throwing closer struggled mightily. In 7.2 postseason innings pitched, Giles had an ERA of 11.74.
Another one of Houston’s top-tier relievers during the regular season, Chris Devenski, struggled in the postseason. Devenski was Houston’s best reliever during the 2017 regular season. He provided the Astros with a lot of durability, and he posted a 2.68 ERA with 100 strikeouts. He even earned himself an All-Star game selection. But when it came to the playoffs, Devenski wasn’t the same. In eight innings, the 27-year-old posted a 9.00 ERA.
With the Astros strong offense and deep starting rotation, which just got even stronger with the addition of Gerrit Cole, they just need a bit more bullpen depth. Adding Greg Holland would give them a veteran closer and give them one of the best bullpens in the AL.
Holland’s postseason experience and success would also give them a reliable ninth-inning guy in October. In 11.2 innings pitched in the playoffs, Holland owns a 2.31 ERA along with seven saves.
If the Astros sign Holland, they’ll strengthen their bullpen and give themselves a great shot at repeating as World Series champions.