The Astros are adding a little extra left-handed depth to their bullpen mix this spring, agreeing to a minor league deal with reliever Tom Cosgrove. The 29-year-old southpaw gets a non-roster invite to MLB camp and would earn $900,000 if he cracks the big league roster.
Cosgrove’s name might ring a bell for fans who followed the Padres’ bullpen closely in 2023. That season, he posted a sparkling 1.75 ERA over 51 1/3 innings during his rookie campaign.
But while the surface numbers looked strong, the underlying metrics told a more complicated story – and the league seemed to catch up with him in 2024. He struggled to a 11.66 ERA over just 14 2/3 innings, leading the Padres to designate him for assignment.
San Diego sold his contract to the Cubs in April.
In Chicago, Cosgrove had only a brief look – two appearances, four innings, one earned run, three strikeouts, and a walk. He was placed on waivers in early September, and the rest of his season played out at Triple-A, where he logged 49 2/3 innings with a 4.53 ERA.
The strikeout rate was solid – punching out 25% of batters faced – but the walk rate (nearly 13%) left something to be desired. After the season, he elected free agency.
For Houston, this is a low-risk move that adds a lefty to a bullpen mix that’s suddenly looking a lot more left-handed than it has in recent years. Josh Hader returns as the anchor in the ninth, while Steven Okert and Bennett Sousa are both coming off career-best seasons.
Bryan King also turned heads in his first full big league campaign. With that kind of depth, Cosgrove is a long shot to break camp with the club – barring a string of spring injuries – but his presence gives the Astros a look at another lefty option.
It’s worth noting that until now, all of Houston’s non-roster bullpen invites were right-handers. So bringing in a southpaw like Cosgrove rounds out the camp competition a bit. He’ll have a chance to show what he can do in front of the big league staff, and even if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster, he could be a depth piece stashed at Triple-A – ready to step in if needed during the grind of a 162-game season.
For Cosgrove, it’s another shot to get back to the form he flashed in 2023. For the Astros, it’s a smart, low-cost bet on a lefty with major league experience and something to prove.
