The Houston Astros came into the offseason with a clear to-do list - and topping that list was fixing a rotation that had been hit hard by injury and free agency. Framber Valdez hit the market, and while he’s still unsigned, the odds of a reunion with Houston have always felt slim.
The Astros just don’t typically hand out the kind of long-term deal Valdez is expected to land. Meanwhile, the rotation depth took some serious blows: Hayden Wesneski underwent Tommy John surgery in late May, and Ronel Blanco followed him to the injured list just a few weeks later.
Then came Brandon Walter, the unexpected breakout lefty who looked like a hidden gem - until he, too, needed Tommy John in September.
So, yeah - Houston had work to do.
To their credit, the Astros have made some smart, calculated moves to stabilize the rotation. The surprise signing of Tatsuya Imai, a standout right-hander from Japan’s NPB, gives them a potential top-end arm who could help offset the loss of Valdez.
Imai’s stuff plays - a heavy fastball, a sharp slider, and the kind of mound presence that should translate well to MLB. It’s a swing-for-upside move, and one that could pay big dividends.
They also swung a trade for Pittsburgh righty Mike Burrows, a young, controllable arm who slots nicely into the middle of the rotation. Burrows brings a solid mix of strike-throwing and swing-and-miss potential, and while he’s not a finished product, there’s enough there to believe he can hold down a spot in the back half of the staff.
Then there are the depth plays - and Houston made a few interesting ones. They brought in Nate Pearson, once a top prospect in Toronto’s system who’s been derailed by injuries but still flashes elite velocity.
They also signed Ryan Weiss, a 29-year-old righty coming off two strong seasons in the KBO. Weiss might not be a household name, but he’s shown improved command and strikeout stuff overseas, and could be a sneaky addition to the back end of the staff or long relief.
Right now, the projected six-man rotation looks something like this: Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, Imai, Burrows, Weiss, and Lance McCullers Jr. That last name - McCullers - is the wild card.
If he can stay healthy and give them even league-average innings, that’s a big win. But even without him at full strength, the Astros have options.
And that’s the key: depth. Spencer Arrighetti, J.P.
France, AJ Blubaugh, Colton Gordon, Jason Alexander, and Miguel Ullola are all on the 40-man roster, and all have minor league options. That flexibility matters over a 162-game grind.
Even 23-year-old Ethan Pecko, who had a solid year between Double-A and Triple-A, could force his way into the picture at some point in 2026.
Is this rotation perfect? No.
But it’s a lot more stable - and a lot more interesting - than it was just a few months ago. The Astros didn’t go big with a headline-grabbing ace, but they added a high-upside international arm, a controllable young starter, and a couple of intriguing reclamation projects.
That’s a solid offseason haul for a team that needed to patch together a rotation on the fly.
Now, the outfield? That’s a different story.
To this point in the offseason, the most notable move Houston has made out there is non-tendering Chas McCormick. That’s it. Unless the Astros plan to roll out Yordan Alvarez in left field on a regular basis - and let’s be honest, that’s not happening - it’s hard to make the case that they have even one everyday outfielder who profiles as a league-average bat.
There’s still time to address that, of course. But as of now, the outfield picture is murky at best. While the rotation looks retooled and ready to compete, the lineup - particularly in the outfield corners - still has some serious holes to fill.