We’ve all known for a while manager Dusty Baker has consistently preferred having a left-handed reliever on his pitching staff. Under then-general manager James Click, the Astros had several attempts to fill that role to various effects, namely Blake Taylor, Brooks Raley, Parker Mushinski, and Will Smith, in addition to a handful of minor league signings that ultimately didn’t produce the desired results. Before Click’s departure following the World Series, I was curious to see how this dynamic would be addressed again in 2023 between him and Baker. Alas, we won’t see it unfold, for better or worse.
But I predict we could see an increase in lefty relief usage next season compared to past campaigns, depending on the personnel.