After not making the postseason for the first time since 2016, the Houston Astros will look to turn that around in 2026.
Not known for spending big in free agency, the Astros did take a gamble by signing Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai to a three-year, $54M contract to fill out their rotation. But they have been quiet since.
The one area of the roster the Astros needed to fix, other than their offense, was their rotation, with the 14th-best starting pitchers’ ERA in baseball (3.97). The Astros added some depth by acquiring Kai-Wei Teng from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for catching prospect Jancel Villareal, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic.
Teng, 27, has big league experience, spending parts of 2024 and 2025 with the Giants. He appeared in four games in 2024 (9.82 ERA) and was slightly better in 2025 (6.37 ERA, in eight games). Teng did do well at Triple-A, posting a 3-2 record with a 3.63 ERA in 26 games (four starts).
Astros have abundance of starters after trading for Kai-Wei Teng
Outside of All-Star Hunter Brown, Imai and Spencer Arrighetti, who are locks for the starting rotation, the Astros have a handful of options to fill out the other slots of their rotation. According to Rome, right-handers Enyel De Los Santos, Nate Pearson, Roddery Munoz and Bryan Abreu offer some options for manager Joe Espada.