Astros Re-Sign Reliever Joe Smith to 2-Year Deal

The Astros have brought back a vital member of their bullpen from the 2019 campaign.

Righty submarine pitcher Joe Smith, who served as a setup man for closer Roberto Osuna, has re-signed on a two-year deal.

Smith, who missed part of the 2019 season recovering from an Achilles injury, made a successful comeback by midseason and pitched to the tune of a 1.80 ERA in 28 outings. Come the postseason, AJ Hinch relied upon Smith's services to get big outs, minus a loss suffered in the World Series against the Washington Nationals.

The 35-year-old's durability shouldn't be questioned despite his injury issue in the 2018 offseason, as he threw 670.1 innings over the 12 seasons entering this year.

Houston's bullpen still has several question marks, but the back end isn't one of them with Smith and Osuna anchoring the unit. After losing out on Gerrit Cole, the Astros staff as a whole must make a leap forward to overcome such a huge void left by the Cy Young runner up. Re-signing Smith is a solid place to start.