MLB rumors: Astros in market for relief help, Mets add Gold Glove winner to depth chart

When will Major League Baseball’s offseason return from the holiday break? It’s a question worth asking. Pitchers and catchers are less than a month away from reporting to camp, and at some point a lot of notable names will need to find homes. Below, you can find all of Tuesday’s rumors, news, and notes.

Astros seeking relief helpThe Astros announced some bad news on Tuesday, as right-handed reliever Kendall Graveman will miss the season after undergoing shoulder surgery last week. 

Add in how three notable Houston bullpen arms from 2023 remain on the open market — Phil Maton, Ryne Stanek, and Hector Neris — and it should come as no surprise that Houston is surveying the relief market.

Astros general manager Dana Brown admitted as much to reporters on Tuesday, telling MLB.com that “if we can go get one more [reliever] and use some of the candidates in-house, we feel like we’ll be good.”

It’s unclear who, exactly, the Astros intend to pursue. There are four unsigned relievers who ranked in CBS Sports’ top 50 rankings, however: Neris, Aroldis Chapman, Robert Stephenson, and Josh Hader. The Astros could also entertain someone like Ryan Brasier, who enjoyed a career resurgence last season as a member of the Dodgers, or simply reunite with one of their own free agents. Anything to take some pressure off the current end-game trio of Ryan Pressly, Bryan Abreu, and Rafael Montero.

Mets add depthThe Mets announced on Tuesday that they’ve signed veteran infielder Yolmer Sánchez and catcher Austin Allen to minor-league contracts with invitations to spring training. Both are expected to serve as organizational depth.

Of the two, Sánchez has had the more notable career. He’s appeared in 674 big-league games, including three last year with the Mets, and has amassed career marks that include a 79 OPS+ and 6.3 Wins Above Replacement. Sánchez’s greatest career accomplishment was winning the 2019 American League Gold Glove Award at second base with the White Sox.