Astros: The once deep bullpen is getting shallower

One of the strengths of the Houston Astros last season was the deep pool of talent in their bullpen. That pool seems to be draining down lately.

With the recent news of Joe Smith‘s surgery, accompanied by Collin McHugh‘s imminent move to the starting rotation, the bullpen is losing a lot of innings worth of work. The Astros may need to shift their offseason priorities or find a solution within their organization.

As reported earlier, Joe Smith ruptured his Achilles tendon in his left leg during a workout session. Surgery was performed to repair it and he’s expected to miss 6-8 months, making an August return a reasonable assumption. Then there is the question of his effectiveness and…