One of the toughest blows for the Houston Astros came when it was announced that Josh Hader, the team's All-Star closer, was heading to the injured list and would be out for a while.
With some reports speculating it could potentially be season-ending, the Astros need to figure out a short-term and long-term solution to their bullpen woes in his absence.
For Jordan Campbell of Climbing Tal's Hill, the plan laid out by manager Joe Espada is a concerning one. Espada, in a piece from Chandler Rome of The Athletic, hinted at the solution consisting of multiple players getting a chance to close games.
"I was talking to the relievers about this," Espada said. "Josh Hader, for how successful he's been, needs guys to give him the ball with the lead in the ninth. All these guys have set him up to be the closer that he is. Not taking anything away from Josh - Josh is probably the best - but you need guys to help him get to that point. These guys are capable of doing that."
As Campbell outlined regarding this quote, the solution to Hader's absence won't come in the form of solely Bryan Abreu locking down save opportunities, but rather a collective effort from the entire bullpen.
"And, if Espada is to be believed," Campbell writes, "Hader won't be replaced by an individual player; instead, the Astros' closer role will be based on matchup."
For Campbell, such a decision is a mistake. He explained why and identified what Espada should be doing instead.
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"The Astros' bullpen has been among the best in baseball, and that is mostly tied to the success of Hader and right-hander Bryan Abreu." Campbell writes. "Along those lines, it feels like Espada is making a mistake in not simply naming Abreu the team's closer in place of an injured Hader."
Abreu has been equally as impressive this season as Hader. As the team's closer, Hader had a 2.05 ERA, 76 strikeouts, and 28 saves this season in 52.2 innings. Abreu, while he can't compare in saves, has a 1.64 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched.
He's the clear top arm in the bullpen with Hader out, and Campbell believes that he should be the new full-time closer. If there is a fear that Hader is done for the year, then making Abreu the full-time closer might not be such a bad idea.
Figuring out how to manage this bullpen post-Hader's injury is going to be another tough challenge for Espada. He plans to utilize all the relievers in a closer-by-committee role, guided to create the best matchups.
But for Campbell, and likely others, this decision is a frustrating one, especially with a great bullpen arm in Abreu ready to take over. As the team awaits more news on Hader, Espada's plan will be the one Houston goes with.
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