The roster churn continues.
Enyel De Los Santos will likely fill the last spot in the bullpen for the time being. How long will his tenure last? No idea. I mean, he’s in his ninth organization and had a 4.53 ERA with the Braves this season, so I don’t want to hype this signing too much. But the Astros need another right-hander who can throw hard to absorb some innings in relief, so De Los Santos fits the bill in that regard.
Since Dana Brown’s hiring, in conjunction with the pitching development team, the Astros have been able to produce quality relievers that were acquired with little initial fanfare. Bennett Sousa, Steven Okert, and Kaleb Ort were all acquired in various fashions following Brown’s hiring in February 2023, with the trio being contributors to this year’s bullpen. De Los Santos could become another success story, especially if his results trend closer to his FIP (3.34) and xERA (3.77).
By Stuff+, De Los Santos’ best pitch is his slider, which grades out above average this season (104). He also throws a four-seam fastball (86 Stuff+) that averages around 96 mph, along with a changeup (87 Stuff+), but those grade out less favorably. That has been the general trend throughout his career, which makes it a bit surprising that someone didn’t tell him to throw his slider more. Oh, wait, one of those three teams he pitched for last season noticed and apparently told him to do just that.
Starting in 2024, De Los Santos’s slider has taken a noticeable step forward, generating a whiff rate above 40% last season and now at 38.1% in 2025. While his fastball, despite its velocity, isn’t all that impressive at the moment, that slider is the reason to take a chance for relatively little risk. The peripherals paint a better picture for the right-hander, especially for a team that can unlock his potential fully. For what I figure is a backend relief role for the time being, De Los Santos is an interesting acquisition.
I am pretty curious at the moment if the Astros can unlock something further within De Los Santos’s fastball. Look at where he primarily throws it this season.
The Astros are known for embracing fastballs thrown high in the strike zone with success across different pitchers. I wonder if De Los Santos is another candidate for such an adjustment, whether that necessitates a change with his low three-quarter arm angle, extension, release point, etc. I am curious to see what adjustments Josh Miller and Bill Murphy do implement, if any at all. Pairing any potential improvement with his four-seam fastball, along with an already above-average slider, could make for a valuable combination. Houston, after all, needs a right-handed reliever who can alleviate some pressure from Bryan Abreu when the situation arises, especially in early innings. Perhaps De Los Santos can address that need under the right circumstances.