News Astros Team Notes

Astros Acquire Nick Robertson

The Blue Jays announced that they have traded right-hander Nick Robertson, who was designated for assignment last week, to the Astros. In exchange, minor league righty Edinson Batista heads to the Jays. To open a 40-man spot for Robertson, the Astros transferred Cristian Javier to the 60-day injured list, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Rome adds that Robertson will report to Triple-A Sugar Land.

Robertson, 26, has a fairly limited major league track record. Over the past two years, he has thrown 35 2/3 innings for the Dodgers, Red Sox, Cardinals and Blue Jays. He has a 5.30 earned run average in that sample but his 24.8% strikeout rate and 6.8% walk rate are both a bit better than average, while his 42.2% ground ball rate is right around par.

His minor league work wasn’t great last year but was quite strong before that. From 2021 to 2023, he tossed 168 1/3 innings on the farm with a 3.80 ERA, 29.1% strikeout rate and 8.4% walk rate. But last year, he posted a 6.87 ERA, 21.7% strikeout rate and 13.7% walk rate in 36 2/3 Triple-A innings.

His profile has been enough to garner interest from several clubs. He was flipped from Los Angeles to Boston in the July 2023 trade that sent Enrique Hernández to the Dodgers, then the Sox sent him to the Cards in the December 2023 deal that sent Tyler O’Neill to Fenway. St. Louis put him on waivers in September, with the Jays putting in a claim and holding him through the offseason. But they needed to open some 40-man spots as they set their Opening Day roster and bumped Robertson off.

Robertson still has an option season remaining, so the Astros can keep him in Sugar Land to see if he can put 2024 behind him. They had some 40-man roster spots to burn due to several injuries. Javier had Tommy John surgery in June of last year and won’t be an option until the second half of the season even in a best-case scenario.

Presumably, several clubs were interested in adding Robertson as some optionable depth, so the Astros had to part with a minor leaguer in order to jump the waiver queue. Batista, 23 in May, was an international signing out of the Dominican Republic. He hasn’t yet risen higher than the High-A level, showing some ability to get strikeouts and ground balls but also with control issues. Since the start of 2021, he has 277 1/3 innings pitched across various minor league levels with a 4.87 ERA, 23.9% strikeout rate and 11.4% walk rate. He has worked both out of the rotation and the bullpen.

In June of 2024, Eric Longenhagen and Travis Ice of FanGraphs gave Batista an honorable mention on their list of the top prospects in the Astros’ system, describing him as “an advanced, athletic, undersized depth starter type.”

Photo courtesy of Jonathan Dyer, Imagn Images
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/04/astros-acquire-nick-robertson.html
 
Verlander: Astros Were Not “In A Place To Make An Offer” This Offseason

Justin Verlander reportedly drew interest from several suitors over the offseason, but the Astros, his former team, were the only club known to have spoken with the three-time Cy Young winner before he signed a one-year, $15MM contract with the Giants. Yet, a new story from The Athletic’s Chandler Rome suggests a reunion between Verlander and Houston was never even close to a reality. Although the two sides kept in touch over the winter – Verlander told Rome he spoke with owner Jim Crane “a lot” and that they had “mutual interest” in a deal – the Astros did not make the veteran an offer.

According to Verlander, he continued his talks with Crane after the Giants made it clear they were interested in his services. At that point, however, Verlander says Crane told him that the Astros were not “even in a place to make an offer.” To some, this might not come as much of a surprise. After all, one could argue that the writing was on the wall for Verlander in Houston as soon as the Astros left him off their postseason roster last October. On the other hand, Verlander himself did not see it that way. He told Rome that he did not truly consider, at that time, the possibility that his final start with the Astros last season might be his final ever outing with the club.

The Astros paid the luxury tax for the first time in 2024. While Crane told reporters (including Rome) in November that the team had “the wherewithal” to continue spending at the same level in 2025, Houston ultimately ended up cutting payroll significantly. According to the estimates from RosterResource, the club’s payroll is $25MM lower right now than it was at the end of last season, while their luxury tax payroll is about $3.5MM below the first tax threshold. It’s not as if GM Dana Brown had no money to spend this past offseason; he signed Christian Walker to a three-year, $60MM deal. However, the Astros also let Alex Bregman walk and shaved payroll by trading Kyle Tucker. Meanwhile, Brown’s only notable addition to a starting rotation that certainly could have used some help was Hayden Wesneski, acquired in the Tucker trade. The 27-year-old right-hander comes with promise and former top prospect upside, but he has never started more than 11 games in a season. He is scheduled to make his Astros debut this evening against the Giants.

All that to say, it sure seems like the luxury tax was the primary obstacle that got in the way of a reunion between Verlander and the Astros. Rome’s reporting suggests the same. While neither Crane nor Brown ever explicitly stated that the team needed to get back below the first luxury tax threshold, Rome reports that the club operated as if that were the case.

So, was last season the end of the line for Verlander and the Astros? Not necessarily. There is clearly a strong relationship between the two. Crane’s Astros have traded for Verlander twice, extended him once, and re-signed him in free agency once. Meanwhile, Verlander told Rome he would “always entertain the idea of coming back” to Houston. With that said, he is now 42 years old, and it’s not far-fetched to wonder if this season could be his last. Then again, Verlander hasn’t given any indication that he’s thinking about retirement. Last fall, he told reporters (including Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle) that he felt like he still had “a lot more to give pitching-wise.” He showed as much in his first start of the 2025 season, giving the Giants five innings of two-run ball, striking out five, and walking just one. If Verlander is looking for a team again next winter, and the Astros are willing to spend a bit more cash, it would hardly be surprising to see the two linked once again.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...-a-place-to-make-an-offer-this-offseason.html
 
MLBTR Podcast: Garrett Crochet’s Extension, Problems In Atlanta, And Other Early-Season Storylines

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…


Check out our past episodes!


The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Tim Heitman, Imagn Images
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...tlanta-and-other-early-season-storylines.html
 
Astros’ Luis Garcia To Be Shut Down Four More Weeks

The Astros provided reporters, including Chandler Rome of The Athletic, with an update on injured right-hander Luis Garcia. His second opinion revealed “inflammation in his right elbow.” He will be shut down for another four weeks before being reevaluated.

The elbow has been an ongoing issue for almost two years now. Garcia’s last major league appearance was May 1st of 2023. He departed that game with some elbow soreness and it was quickly determined that he would require Tommy John surgery. Given that it usually takes 14 months or more to recover from such a procedure, a return late in 2024 was possible. He started a rehab assignment in June but was quickly shut down due to ongoing soreness and didn’t return to the mound in the later months of the season.

Despite that frustrating setback, it seemed fair to expect him to get 100% healthy in the offseason and be ready for 2025. But he was again shut down two weeks ago due to renewed discomfort in his elbow. He was sent for further examinations and is now facing another shutdown period.

On the one hand, today’s update could have been worse. A four-week shutdown isn’t quite as bad as another season-ending surgery. On the other hand, it’s surely frustrating for Garcia and the club that he can’t seem to get over the hump. Even if he’s healthy in four weeks, he will need the equivalent of a full spring ramp-up, which will probably add another six weeks or so. That means he’s probably not going to be back with the Astros until June even in the best-case scenario. By that point, it will have been more than two years since his last big league game.

Prior to all these problems, he was a solid piece of the Houston rotation. He logged 155 1/3 innings over 30 appearances in 2021, posting a 3.48 earned run average. He made another five starts in the playoffs. In 2022, he made 28 more regular season starts with a 3.72 ERA.

Getting him back into the mix would be ideal but that will have to wait at least another few months. The Astros will likely transfer him to the 60-day injured list once they need a 40-man roster spot. For now, their rotation consists of Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown, Ronel Blanco, Spencer Arrighetti and Hayden Wesneski.

Garcia is one of several injured starters, as Lance McCullers Jr., J.P. France and Cristian Javier are also on the IL. Until someone in that group gets healthy, the top depth starter is perhaps Colton Gordon. He has no major league experience but is on the 40-man roster and throwing in Triple-A.

Photo courtesy of Sam Navarro, Imagn Images
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/04/astros-luis-garcia-to-be-shut-down-four-more-weeks.html
 
Brendan Rodgers’ Deal With Astros Contains Advance Consent Clause

Brendan Rodgers broke camp with the Astros after signing a minor league contract in February. The deal comes with a $2MM base salary, but it’s apparently not fully guaranteed. Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports that Rodgers agreed to an advance consent clause: one which allows a team to release a veteran player within the first 45 days of the regular season and get out from under the remainder of the contract.

Most of the time, a player’s base salary will become fully guaranteed once the team selects their minor league deal. Players who have over five years of service time, as Rodgers does, also generally have the right to refuse any optional assignments to the minors. However, the collective bargaining agreement permits teams and players who have five-plus service years to agree to the advance consent provision — giving the team extra flexibility for a month and a half to determine whether they want to keep that player. Teams cannot use the advance consent clause to release players because of injury, but they can do so for any other reason within the first 45 days.

It’s obviously not an ideal situation for the player. It’s nevertheless fairly common for teams to seek advance consent clauses for veterans who sign late in the offseason and have little leverage. Ken Rosenthal and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic wrote in early March that some clubs were seeking advance consent provisions in negotiations with the handful of starting pitchers (e.g. Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson) who had remained unsigned into Spring Training, for instance.

Rodgers was non-tendered by the Rockies and found himself limited to minor league offers in the final week of February. He didn’t have a great Spring Training, hitting .233/.250/.349 without a home run in 44 plate appearances. Rodgers would have been able to opt out of his minor league deal at the end of camp if the Astros didn’t call him up. They did so but evidently worked in the clause to give themselves the flexibility to get out of the deal if he didn’t perform well early in the season. They also built in the ability to option him to Triple-A, though Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 reported last month that Rodgers can opt out on May 1 and/or June 1 if he’s not on the 26-man active roster.

While a $2MM base salary isn’t much by MLB standards, the Astros are up against a luxury tax line they’ve had little interest in crossing. RosterResource estimates their CBT number around $238MM, about $3MM below the base threshold. That includes Rodgers’ $2MM salary. Money added via in-season waiver claims or trades would count towards the CBT calculation. That puts more emphasis on even relatively light investments that the front office makes. That’s presumably part of the reason they made Ben Gamel’s $1MM base salary conditional on him making the team out of Spring Training (which he did not do).

The clause puts more pressure on Rodgers to perform well in the early going. He has started five of the first seven games at second base. (Primary left fielder Jose Altuve and utilityman Mauricio Dubón have each made one start apiece at the keystone.) A three-hit game on Thursday pushed Rodgers to 5-16 (.313) on the year. He has drawn a pair of walks while striking out four times. An RBI double off Louie Varland today was his first extra-base hit of the season. The former third overall pick hit .267/.314/.407 with 13 homers through 539 plate appearances for the Rockies last year.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...h-astros-contains-advance-consent-clause.html
 
Cooper Hummel Elects Free Agency

The Astros announced that utility player Cooper Hummel has cleared waivers and elected free agency. Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 relayed the news prior to the official announcement. Houston had designated Hummel for assignment a week ago as they set their Opening Day roster. Since he had a previous career outright, he had the right to reject another such assignment and has exercised that right.

Hummel, 30, will now head to the open market and assess his options. The fact that he cleared waivers means that no club was willing to give him a 40-man roster spot, perhaps a reflection of his out-of-options status.

He should be able to find offers on minor league deals. He has only hit .159/.255/.275 in his major league career, though in a fairly small sample of 235 plate appearances spread across three seasons. His minor league work has been greater in quality and quantity. Since the start of 2021, he has stepped to the plate 1,419 times at the Triple-A level. He drew a walk in 17.5% of those appearances while only striking out 20.9% of the time. His .285/.419/.480 combined line translates to a 130 wRC+. He hit .316/.435/.447 in spring action before the Astros cut him loose.

In addition to those interesting offensive numbers, he provides value on the basepaths and defensively versatility. He racked up double-digit stolen base totals in each of the past two years. In terms of his glovework, he has done plenty of work behind the plate and also lined up at the four corner spots.

He didn’t crouch behind the plate last year and hasn’t played third since 2021, but the overall package is still intriguing. The offense has always been strong in the minors and he looked good in camp recently. He can play first base and the outfield corners and perhaps there’s a club willing to put him back in the catcher position. If he clicks somewhere and gets back to the majors, he is out of options but his service time count is barely over the one-year line, meaning he can be cheaply retained beyond this season if he earns and holds a roster spot.

Photo courtesy of Reinhold Matay, Imagn Images
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/04/cooper-hummel-elects-free-agency.html
 
Astros To Select Logan VanWey

The Astros are promoting right-hander Logan VanWey to the majors, according to a report from Ari Alexander of KPRC2. VanWey’s contract will be selected from the minor leagues and he’ll join the team during their coming trip to Seattle, which begins with a game tomorrow evening. The righty’s first appearance for the Astros will be his big league debut. Alexander reports that right-hander Luis Contreras will be optioned to the minors to make room for VanWey on the active roster. The club will need to make a 40-man roster move to accommodate the addition of VanWey, although this could be easily accomplished by transferring right-hander Luis Garcia to the 60-day injured list.

VanWey, 26, went undrafted out of college and was signed by the Astros out of the Pioneer League, where he made nine starts with the Glacier Range Riders. After being signed by Houston in 2022, VanWey threw eight scoreless innings for the club’s Florida Complex League team but didn’t make his full-season debut until 2023. The right-hander was initially assigned to the High-A level to open the season, but his 3.71 ERA in 17 innings of work combined with a 25.6% strikeout rate was enough to get him a promotion to Double-A. VanWey did even better at the new level, with a 3.00 ERA in 30 innings of work with an amazing 32.5% strikeout rate, though it did come with an elevated 13.2% walk rate.

Nonetheless, VanWey made it to the Triple-A level during his first full season in affiliated ball. While he was torched for three runs in just 1 1/3 innings of work during that first stint with the Astros’ Sugar Land affiliate, he posted far better numbers in a full season at the level last year. In all, VanWey worked 72 2/3 innings across 60 appearances in 2024 with a 3.22 ERA, a 31.5% strikeout rate, and a 12.9% walk rate. While that wildness still stood out as a potential concern, the right-hander’s overall numbers were made all the more impressive by the fact that he was pitching in the inflated offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League; just three pitchers with at least 40 innings of work at the level posted a lower ERA than VanWey for the Space Cowboys last year.

That strong performance earned VanWey the chance to compete for a job in the Astros’ bullpen this spring. He did quite well for himself, with a 1.32 ERA in 13 2/3 frames. His 26.8% strikeout rate was below his usual expectations, but a solid 8.9% walk rate more than made up for that. Even so, VanWey was left off of the club’s Opening Day roster and reported to Triple-A to open the year, where he’s struck out a third of his opponents across four outings. His latest stint in the minors appears to be over for the time being, however, as VanWey will now reportedly head to Seattle to join the big league Astros. Going from an undrafted free agent pitching in indy ball to the majors in just three years is an accomplishment by itself, but now the 26-year-old will be tasked with getting big league hitters out and contributing to an Astros bullpen that has little certainty outside of its dynamic late-inning duo of Bryan Abreu and Josh Hader.

As for Contreras, the 28-year-old righty made his big league debut last year with a brief cup of coffee that lasted just six innings. This year, he’s surrendered two runs in three innings of work but struck out an excellent 46.2% of his opponents in his limited time in the majors since the start of the season. He sports a career 3.65 ERA in 101 frames at Triple-A and will likely be an up-and-down reliever riding the shuttle between the majors and Triple-A for the Astros throughout the year given his high-octane stuff and ability to be optioned to the minors.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/04/astros-to-select-logan-vanwey.html
 
Spencer Arrighetti Sustains Right Thumb Fracture

The Astros announced that Spencer Arrighetti suffered a broken thumb on his throwing hand this afternoon. Manager Joe Espada told reporters earlier this evening that the righty was going for testing after a fluke injury (relayed by Chandler Rome of The Athletic). Arrighetti was playing catch in the outfield before tonight’s game in Seattle. A Mariner hitter taking batting practice hit a line drive that struck him in the hand.

It’s not clear for how long the injury will sideline the second-year pitcher. A thumb fracture on a pitcher’s throwing hand is obviously problematic. Arrighetti will probably land on the 15-day injured list tomorrow. Houston will go with Hayden Wesneski, Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown for the Seattle series. They’re off on Thursday. Arrighetti would have lined up for Friday’s series opener against the Angels.

The off day theoretically allows them to turn to Ronel Blanco, who was knocked out after 62 pitches in yesterday’s start in Minnesota, to pitch on regular rest on Friday. That could delay their need for a fifth starter until early next week. Houston doesn’t have any experienced rotation depth. Left-hander Colton Gordon, who has yet to make his MLB debut, is the only healthy starter on the 40-man roster who is pitching in Triple-A. Rookie righty Ryan Gusto is working in 2-3 innings stints out of the big league bullpen. He started 26 Triple-A contests last year and could be an option to stretch out for rotation work.

Lance McCullers Jr. might not be far off his first big league appearance in three years. The veteran righty began the season on the injured list as he works back from multiple arm surgeries. He has made a pair of minor league rehab starts. McCullers tossed 50 pitches in an outing for Double-A Corpus Christi on Saturday. He might be back within the next couple weeks, so the Astros may only need a start or two from their younger arms.

Arrighetti tossed six innings of one-run ball against the Mets in his season debut. Minnesota tagged him for five runs on 3 2/3 frames on Saturday. He’s coming off a 4.53 ERA over 145 innings during his rookie year. There was more reason for optimism than that pedestrian season-long figure might suggest. Arrighetti carried a near-6.00 ERA into the All-Star Break but allowed only 3.18 earned runs per nine over his final 65 innings. He struck out nearly 30% of opposing hitters in the second half.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/04/spencer-arrighetti-sustains-right-thumb-fracture.html
 
Octavio Dotel Dies In Roof Collapse Tragedy

Former major leaguer Octavio Dotel has died in a tragic accident, per multiple sources out of the Dominican Republic, including Diario Libre. The roof of the Jet Set club in Santo Domingo collapsed in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Full details of the tragedy are still emerging but Diario Libre says at least 27 people have died while rescue efforts continue. It was initially reported that Dotel was pulled from the rubble alive but the most recent reports indicate he was taken to a hospital, where he arrived without vital signs. He was 51 years old.

Exact details of the tragic situation are difficult to pin down, but it appears hundreds of people were in the venue for a concert when the collapse happened. Dozens of people have been pulled out alive but many have died and the figures are likely to change. Dotel was reportedly trapped for about 11 hours before being rescued and initially survived, but was declared dead after being taken to a hospital.

Dotel was well known to baseball fans because he pitched in the majors for over a decade and bounced around to various teams. He made his major league debut with the Mets in 1999, working in a swing role. He was traded to the Astros ahead of the 2000 season and continued to work both out of the rotation and the bullpen for a while.

He eventually moved into a primary relief role and had more success. Though his earned run average was over 5.00 in both 1999 and 2000, he posted a 2.66 ERA in 2001. He tossed 105 innings over 61 appearances, only four of those being starts.

He continued working as a solid reliever for years after that, bouncing to the Athletics, Yankees, Royals, Braves, White Sox, Pirates, Dodgers, Rockies, Blue Jays, Cardinals and Tigers. He finished his career with a 3.78 ERA in 758 games. He recorded 109 saves and 127 holds. He won the World Series with the Cardinals in 2011. He was a part of a combined no-hitter with the Astros in 2003. He retired in 2014.

We at MLB Trade Rumors send our deepest condolences to Dotel’s family, friends and fans, as well as the hundreds of others who have been impacted by this awful event.

Photo courtesy of Kelley L Cox, Imagn Images
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/04/octavio-dotel-dies-in-roof-collapse-tragedy.html
 
Braves Acquire Rafael Montero From Astros

The Astros announced a trade sending reliever Rafael Montero and an undisclosed amount of cash to the Braves for a player to be named later. Houston recalled lefty reliever Bennett Sousa to take the vacated bullpen spot. Atlanta has not announced any corresponding moves. They had an opening on their 40-man roster after waiving Chadwick Tromp and do not need to make an active roster transaction until Montero reports to the team.

Montero, 34, is in the final season of a three-year free agent deal. He’s playing on an $11.5MM salary. The Astros are surely paying down the majority of that contract, though specifics on the cash have not been reported. Owner Jim Crane struck early in the 2022-23 offseason to re-sign Montero on a $34.5MM investment. That was in between the dismissal of former general manager James Click and the hiring of current GM Dana Brown. It did not work out.

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The veteran right-hander was rocked for a 5.08 earned run average over 67 1/3 innings in the first season. He posted a 4.70 ERA while walking nearly as many hitters as he struck out last year. The Astros designated him for assignment around the trade deadline. That seemed like it would officially end his tenure in the organization. Montero had more than enough service time to elect free agency while collecting the rest of his contract.

Montero instead accepted an assignment to Triple-A after clearing waivers. He tossed 16 1/3 frames of four-run ball there to finish the season. Houston didn’t call him up last season but brought him back to Spring Training as a non-roster invitee. Montero allowed six runs (five earned) with 10 strikeouts and seven walks across 8 2/3 innings to earn his way back onto the MLB roster. He has made three regular season appearances, working four frames of two-run ball with five punchouts.

The 11-year big league veteran sits in the 95-96 MPH range with his four-seam fastball. He tweaked his pitch mix this year, according to Statcast. Montero added a mid-80s splitter while scrapping his low-90s changeup. That’s now his top offspeed pitch against lefty hitters. It’s too early to glean much from the results, but opponents have whiffed on five of 12 swings against it.

Atlanta evaluators were intrigued enough by Montero’s form to plug him into the middle innings. Daysbel Hernández and long man Zach Thompson each have options remaining. Lefty José Suarez is out of options but has a pedestrian 5:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio through his first four appearances. Montero figures to displace someone from that group — most likely Thompson — once he joins the team.

It’s purely a salary dump for Houston. They were never going to be able to shed the majority of Montero’s contract. Getting out from under even a small portion of the deal should give them more flexibility for deadline acquisitions. They’re within a few million dollars of the $241MM luxury tax threshold, which they seem disinclined to surpass. Whatever portion of Montero’s salary that the Braves assume will come off the Astros’ tax bill.

Image courtesy of Erik Williams, Imagn Images.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/04/braves-acquire-rafael-montero-from-astros.html
 
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