The Houston Astros kept swinging right up against the trade deadline, but the pitching market keeps closing on them.
After missing out on Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, Houston had another familiar name on the board: San Francisco Giants left-hander Robbie Ray. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Astros viewed the former Cy Young winner as a realistic fallback if the Skubal pursuit went nowhere.
That fallback disappeared on Monday. The Giants sent Ray to the San Diego Padres, with San Francisco agreeing to cover part of his salary to help complete the move. In return, the Giants received right-hander Miguel Mendez and shortstop Joniel Hernandez.
Ray, 34, has been sharp since June and is now sitting at 10-6 with a 3.08 ERA and 107 strikeouts. For Houston, he would have fit as a steady arm behind Hunter Brown and given the club another dependable option for a playoff push. Instead, the Astros are back to searching for pitching help with the deadline clock running out.
The timing is especially tough for Houston, which opened the 2026 season buried by pitching injuries and the free-agency loss of Framber Valdez. Since then, the club has turned things around in a big way and pushed itself into the middle of a crowded AL West race. That surge made the front office aggressive, but the top targets have started to disappear.
Skubal was the first major miss, with the Los Angeles Dodgers landing the two-time Cy Young winner on Saturday night. Ray was the next name Houston had circled, and now he’s gone too.
The Giants’ decision made sense from their end. With a 47-65 record and no real postseason path left, they chose to move Ray and pay down part of his remaining salary in exchange for a better return from San Diego.
Houston did make one move Monday, acquiring outfielder Daulton Varsho from the Toronto Blue Jays. To get that deal done, general manager Dana Brown sent young starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti the other way.
Even with that addition, the Astros still appear headed into the final stretch leaning heavily on the arms already in the clubhouse behind Brown.
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Astros Interest In Logan Webb Just Ran Into One Huge Problem
With the trade deadline drawing closer, Logan Webb has surfaced as a name worth watching for clubs looking to add pitching, and the Astros are among the teams said to be interested. Houston has been linked to the San Francisco right-hander along with Atlanta, a reminder that frontline starters tend to draw attention quickly when the market starts to thin out and contenders start checking on every available arm.
The problem for Houston is that San Francisco does not appear inclined to entertain much discussion. Webb is viewed internally as too important to move because of his contract and his place in the Giants' plans, which makes any pursuit a steep climb from the start. Webb has also made clear he wants to stay with the Giants, so even with outside interest building, this feels like one of those deadline whispers where the asking price may never even be the real issue. [Read more 🡒]