"They have to turn a corner and suck it up” – Astros GM Dana Brown says team’s bullpen stars need to step amid disastrous start to season

This has not been the start to the season that the Houston Astros envisioned coming into 2024. Only two years removed from winning the World Series, the club finds itself in one of their worst slumps in years.

Entering Tuesday's action, Houston owns a disappointing 12-22 record, something that no one could have predicted.

"The Josh Hader struggles are not over. It’s trident time." - @Jared_Carrabis

After a relatively quiet offseason, Astros General Manager Dana Brown, and the front office made a splash, landing arguably the best closer in the game, Josh Hader. The move made headlines considering that the team already owned one of the best MLB bullpens, thanks to the likes of Ryan Pressly and Bryan Abreu.

However, things have not gone according to plan. Both Josh Hader and Ryan Pressly currently own ERAs over 5.00, whereas Bryan Abreu currently possesses a 4.32 ERA. This is something that Dana Brown does not expect will continue, but he also believes it is up to these stars to step up despite the difficult start.

"They understand where they are at this point," Brown said in a recent episode of MLB Now.

They have to turn a corner and suck it up," he continued.

It's clear that something is not right in Houston, but given the talent on the roster, it might not be long before the Astros find themselves contending for the postseason.

"Astros GM Dana Brown comments on the state of the bullpen. #MLBNow | #Relentless" - @MLBNow

Dana Brown does not envision the Houston Astros being sellers this season

On the same episode, Dana Brown was asked about whether or not he sees the team as potentially becoming sellers at the trade deadline. The GM was clear, shutting down any notion saying,

"I can't predict any scenario where we become sellers. I think the team is too good."

While Brown remains adamant that there won't be a selling phase, if there is no improvement, it could force the team to some difficult decisions regarding the current roster. Some of the team's veterans such as Justin Verlander and Jose Abreu would be the most likely candidates to be traded if the team opted to go that route.