The Houston Astros have made a significant move, adding left-handed pitcher Matt Gage to their 40-man roster. While Gage has only thrown 13 innings in the MLB, this move shows that the Astros are serious about their bullpen strategy heading into the 2021 season. In this blog post, we will take a look at the potential impact of this move and what it means for the Astros’ pitching staff.
Matt Gage has been in professional baseball since 2014, and the 30 year-old lefty has thrown a total of 13 innings in MLB. Still, adding him to the 40-man is a significant move. We don’t know how it will wash out, but a few thoughts. First, Matt Gage has learned how to miss bats. After the COVID season when he didn’t pitch, he came back and posted much higher K numbers. That likely caught Dana Brown’s eye.
With Gage now on the 40-man, the Astros have three lefty relievers on the roster. This could mean that Dusty Baker will favor lefty-lefty matchups, or it could mean that one of the lefties will be used as trade bait early in the season. Either way, pitchers Blake Taylor and Peter Mushinski should come ready to impress.
The reliever positions are mostly taken, with eight spots filled and only one more up for grabs. Seth Martinez had a good season last year and should be in line to make the team. There’s also Ronel Blanco and Enoli Paredes if someone falters. Even with the addition of Gage, the Astros still have a lot of depth in their bullpen.
Finally, the Astros have a lot of 40-man arms, and the SP depth should be a priority. On the 40-man, that depth would be Bielak, Whitley, JP France, and Shawn Dubin. Some like Dubin as a reliever, but at this point, he’s likely competing with Bielak, Whitley, and maybe Dubin to be the first starter called up from Sugar Land.
The addition of Matt Gage to the 40-man roster is a significant move for the Houston Astros. With Gage on the roster, the Astros now have a lot of depth in their bullpen and pitching staff. With the season fast approaching, it will be interesting to see how the team utilizes this depth to build a winning team.
Source: www.crawfishboxes.com