3 Astros free agents who will leave, 2 who will stay in 2024

Ryne Stanek will leave the Astros due to heavy free agent interest

Again, the free-agent market for relievers is expected to gain significant steam in the months to come. Ryne Stanek put together a respectable campaign for the Astros — 4.09 ERA and 1.243 WHIP in 50.2 innings pitched — but the righty is due for a change of scenery as Houston rebuilds the periphery of its pitching staff.

Stanek packs serious zip on his fastball. His 98.2 MPH average speed ranks in the MLB's 96th percentile, per Baseball Savant. Unfortunately, that comes with a lot of hard hits. His off-speed pitches are solid, but he lost command from time to time in 2023. He's not far removed from a dominant World Series-winning campaign in 2022, in which Stanek's ERA plummeted to 1.15, but the 32-year-old has a bad habit of inconsistency.

Still, the hope of a return to peak form could (and will) be enough to draw eyeballs, and there is natural upside tied to such gnarly velocity. The Astros wouldn't be making a mistake to bring Stanek back, but he feels like a potential casualty of the market. Houston will want to change the dynamics in the bullpen after this uneven postseason run. Stanek, meanwhile, is a career journeyman who knows a thing or two about skipping town.

The Astros should prioritize southpaws and stability in the bullpen this offseason, with maybe one more reliable starter to sure things up. Stanek doesn't fit the bill. He therefore feels like a strong candidate to leave, despite the mutual respect between player and franchise for that magical 2022 World Series run.