Lock to make roster Abreu is considered a lock to make the Astros' Opening Day roster, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports. Impact As Kaplan notes, Abreu will likely make the team as a multi-inning reliever. He could also serve as rotation depth, but he had a 14.2 percent walk rate in 76.2 innings at Triple-A last year, so he probably lacks the command and control to be efficient in that role. As a reliever, however, Abreu can be borderline unhittable thanks to a 70-grade breaking ball -- some evaluators think he has two distinct mid-80s breaking balls. He struggles to command his low-to-mid-90s fastball, but few young pitchers are as adept at spinning a breaking ball as Abreu, which gives him a realistic floor as a high-leverage weapon.
JULY 15, 2020 • ROTOWIRE