Making no secrets about their need for starting pitching depth this offseason, the Astros began addressing that void on Friday. Houston is in the process of acquiring right-hander Mike Burrows from the Pirates as part of a three-team blockbuster.
But to do so, the club is parting ways with two of its top prospects ranked by MLB Pipeline. None of the clubs have confirmed the transactions, as they are pending medical reviews.
TRADE DETAILS
Pirates would receive: 2B Brandon Lowe, OF Jake Mangum, LHP Mason Montgomery
Astros would receive: RHP Mike Burrows
Rays would receive: OF Jacob Melton (Astros' No. 2 prospect), RHP Anderson Brito (Astros' No. 7 prospect)
The Astros were also pursuing Rays starter Shane Baz -- who was also traded on Friday, to the Orioles -- but ultimately did not reach the price point that Tampa Bay eventually netted from Baltimore, which featured four of its Top 30 prospects by MLB Pipeline and its 2026 Competitive Balance Round A Draft pick.
Burrows, 26, made 19 starts with the Pirates last season and pitched to a 3.94 ERA and 1.24 WHIP over 96 innings, with a 24.1% strikeout rate and 7.7% walk rate -- good for 1.3 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs.
Although not among the highest flamethrowers in the pure velocity sense (95.5 mph average), he has four distinct weapons that play well in sequence: a four-seamer, changeup, slider and curveball. That’s a key factor for the Astros, who value pitchers that can both spin and keep runners off base.
Moreover, Burrows possesses precisely the type of profile -- affordable and controllable -- that general manager Dana Brown has hinted at what the club is seeking this winter. With free-agent arms moving off the board and payroll constraints limiting blockbuster additions, the trade market has increasingly become Houston’s best lever to improve the rotation.
Drafted in the 11th round in 2018, Burrows worked his way through the Pirates’ system despite injuries, including a Tommy John surgery setback in 2023 that delayed his development.
Parting ways with Melton and Brito could sting for Astros fans -- particularly Melton, one of Houston’s most exciting young defenders in center field. Brito, meanwhile, is a high-ceiling righty who has consistently punched well above his age level in the lower Minors and generated buzz among scouts for his combination of fastball life and strike-throwing feel.
From a roster construction standpoint, this is Houston’s version of “buying pitching” without surrendering Major League impact now. Melton and Brito are among the Astros’ top prospects -- both with promising futures -- but the calculus was clear: the team needed an MLB-ready starter more than it needed additional outfield or pitching depth in the pipeline.
A reunion with two-time All-Star Framber Valdez -- or any top-of-the-market arm -- has long seemed out of the cards, given the dollar cost of premier starting pitching in free agency.
The move for Burrows underscores the club’s offseason strategy of remaining committed to contending, even under the competitive balance tax. Rather than tread water or chase the splashiest free agents, Houston continued the trend of turning internal assets into targeted help where it matters most -- starting pitching.
As the winter progresses, the Astros now turn their attention toward further roster refinement. Whether it’s adding bullpen depth or addressing lineup flexibility, Houston’s blueprint remains consistent: build strength through tactical deals on the trade market, or lower-cost expenditures via free agency.