MLB Insider Links Left-Handed Reliever to Astros

The Houston Astros could add this lefty reliever who finished with an ERA below 2.60 last season.

Year in and year out, the Houston Astros are going to be one of the top teams in baseball. They've proven that throughout the past decade and that doesn't look to be changing anytime soon.

The Astros have achieved this because of what they can do on both sides of the baseball. Not only can they swing it with the best of them, but their starting rotation and bullpen can get outs at a high level.

If there is one part of their bullpen that can improve, it's have more left-handed arms.

On their playoff roster last season, Houston didn't have a single lefty pitcher in the bullpen, something that's almost unheard of.

There are going to be multiple options that the Astros can go out and explore, but Mark Feinsand of MLB.com highlights Matt Moore as the top option.

"As good as the Astros were in 2023, one thing they lacked all season was a reliable left-hander in the bullpen. Moore has had two strong seasons in a row, though his numbers against lefties (.874 OPS) were worse than against righties (.623 OPS) last year," he writes.

Moore had an impressive season a year ago, throwing 52 2/3 innings and finishing with a 2.56 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. He had solid advanced numbers as well, finishing the year above average in fastball run value, off-speed run value, xERA, xBA, Chase %, and other categories, according to Baseball Savant.

This indicates there won't be much regression and should make him an enticing option for Houston.

If the Astros believe not having a lefty was a mistake last season, expect them to change that heading into 2024.