Worst possible team "making a push" for Josh Hader

While the Los Angeles Angels remain quiet, most of the league has been making moves. One of the quieter teams this offseason, which is a bit surprising, has been the Houston Astros. The Astros, coming off a heartbreaking ALCS defeat at the hands of the Texas Rangers, figured to be active this offseason in an attempt to get back to the World Series in 2024.

Houston was quiet, but now they appear to have woken up, as The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Chandler Rome report that the Astros are "making a push" for Josh Hader. Nothing is finalized, but the Astros making a push certainly doesn't sound ideal from an Angels' perspective.

Gap between the Astros and Angels could widen with Houston's pursuit of Josh Hader

The Astros were dealt a big blow a couple of days ago with the news that reliever Kendall Graveman will miss the entire season after undergoing shoulder surgery. Rather than sit and sulk over that injury, the Astros are ramping up their pursuit of arguably the best closer in the game.

Meanwhile, the Angels got the toughest news of any team with Shohei Ohtani leaving to join their crosstown rivals, the Dodgers. What have the Angels done in response? Sign four pitchers to cheap one-year deals. They've added some minor league moves as well, but the Angels have done nothing of note in the month since Shohei Ohtani walked.

The gap between these two AL West rivals is wide enough as is. If Houston adds Josh Hader to pair in their bullpen with two of the best relievers in the AL Ryan Pressly and Bryan Abreu, that'll just be another big blow to an Angels fan base starving for something.

The Angels' bullpen is a mess. Houston's is a strength. Houston is looking to add the best reliever available by far, while the Angels are going bargain bin hunting for the likes of Luis Garcia and Adam Cimber.

The Angels not pursuing Hader is one thing, but the Angels letting him go to a division rival without putting up a fight when their bullpen is a weakness is another. Nothing is done or imminent yet, but this certainly doesn't feel great for the Angels.