Astros continue to look for pitching depth with option years.
Thursday night the Houston Astros made a couple of roster moves as GM Dana Brown continues to look for pitching depth that still have options available on the contracts.
First, Houston made a deal with the San Francisco Giants to acquire SP Kai-Wei Teng in exchange for minor league catcher Jancel Villaroel.
Teng has swing and miss stuff (11.8 K/9 last season in 29.2 IP for SFG last season, 14.1 K/9 last season in 57 IP at AAA Sacramento) but can struggle with command (5.2 BB/9 last season for SFG, 3.5 BB/9 at AAA Sacramento).
His best pitch is his sweeper, his fastball generally sits 92-93 but can reach 94-95. He has shown the extra velocity when pitching in relief. His fastball is best when elevated in the zone. He also throws a curveball and changeup.
Villaroel was the Astros #13 overall prospect in their system. Last year he split his age-20 season between Fayetteville in the Carolina League (A Ball) and Asheville in the Sally League (High A). His numbers decreased dramatically at High A, although he was young for the league (-2.0 age difference). At 5 foot 8 and 175 pounds, he doesn’t project to be a big power threat, but he does have good speed and stole 20 bases for Fayetteville in 27 attempts. He could find himself eventually as an outfielder. He is currently ranked as the Giants #27 prospect.
In order to make room for Teng, the Astros designated SP J.P. France for assignment.
France struggled last season coming back from shoulder capsule surgery. He posted a 2-2 record with a 6.59 ERA and 1.72 WHIP in 9 games/6 starts across 3 minor league levels with 22BB and 28K in 27.1 IP. He was 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA and 1.00 WHIP for the Astros in 2025 in 2 appearances covering 4 innings with 2BB and 5K.
France’s velocity was noticeably down following the surgery, and he struggled with his command. He will be 31 on April 4.
The Astros also signed RP Tom Cosgrove.
Cosgrove has both starting and bullpen experience, and is lefthanded. He has been exclusively a reliever at the MLB level.
Cosgrove is primarily a sweeper/slider pitcher who also throws a sinker. His fastball generally sits 88-91, and his low arm slot makes him very tough on lefties.
After a successful rookie season in 2023, Cosgrove has struggled with command and walks have been an issue.
The Astros also have a track record of getting the most out of nearly every pitcher they get “in the lab” so to speak.
Both Teng and Cosgrove have options, which is important for the Astros. Houston will play 24 games in the season’s first 26 days. They will utilize a 6 man rotation, which will leave the bullpen short with only 7 arms.
In the event they have a game/games where they really burn the pen, they need to have optionable arms to they can swap fresh arms to the big league club to replenish the bullpen if needed on a short turnaround.
Also, having potential arms like Jason Alexander, Colton Gordon, Ryan Weiss, Nate Pearson who can go multiple innings can also help the pen, as they can save a lot of other arms and potentially only have to swap one player who can eat a bulk of innings if needed.
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