The Astros are looking for pitching help, and Dustin May has already surfaced as a name to watch.
According to MLB insider Jon Morosi, Houston is among several clubs interested in the free agent right-hander. Morosi also connected the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox and San Diego Padres to May, while pointing to the tie between May and new Astros general manager Randy Flores from Flores’ time in the St. Louis Cardinals front office.
That connection matters here. Flores spent more than half a decade as St. Louis’ assistant general manager, and he was in the Cardinals’ front office when the club signed May to a one-year, $12.5 million deal last winter.
May, a two-time World Series champion, made 21 starts for St. Louis before being dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers on Aug.
- He then worked in Milwaukee’s rotation as the Brewers went on to win their first World Series title.
In all, May threw nearly 150 innings across 31 starts and finished with a 4.70 ERA. That’s solid enough to keep him in demand, but not the kind of production that puts him in the top tier of available starters.
Houston, though, has bigger concerns than chasing a front-line arm. The Astros need to shore up their pitching staff across the board.
May’s numbers last season were similar to what he posted in 2025, when he split time between the Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox. Because of that, he’s not expected to land a huge jump from his 2026 salary, with most projections putting him in the $13-$15 million range. A multi-year offer could be the swing factor, though that comes with obvious risk for a pitcher with an injury history.
For now, Houston’s rotation picture is still unsettled. Hunter Brown, Hayden Wesneski and Christian Javier are the names currently expected to sit atop the staff in 2027, but there are plenty of holes behind them.
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