Astros Acquire Intriguing Young Right-Hander in MLB Portion of Rule 5 Draft

The Houston Astros have made a selection in the MLB portion of Wednesday's Rule 5 draft

Aug 21, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Roddery Munoz (71) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros have made a made a significant move during Wednesday's Rule 5 draft as they seek to make upgrades to their current big league roster.

As first reported by Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, the organization made their first selection in the MLB portion of the draft since 2017, grabbing 25-year-old right-hander Roddery Muñoz from the Triple-A roster of the Cincinnati Reds.

McTaggart clarified that when a player is selection in the MLB portion of the draft, the drafting team must pay his former team $100,000 and keep him on their active big league roster throughout the following season. Additionally, the player cannot be sent down without clearing waivers and being offered back to his original organization for half the draft cost.

The move also brought the 40-man roster to a status of full. Given the stakes here, clearly Houston liked something they saw in Muñoz and see him as a potential piece of either the bullpen, starting rotation or both in 2026.

How Muñoz Has Fared Thus Far in Major League Baseball

Jul 20, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Roddery Muñoz (71) throws against the New York Mets in the first inning at loanDepot Park. | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Muñoz spent the 2025 season with the St. Louis Cardinals and was for the most part with Triple-A Memphis, though he did make nine big league appearances this year before being claimed off waivers by Cincinnati last month.

The nine appearances this year did not go well however, as Muñoz pitched to a 8.18 ERA and 1.636 WHIP out of the bullpen. The strikeout numbers were impressive though, fanning 14 batters in 11 innings. In Triple-A, he had a 3.28 ERA over 38 appearances and kept up that rate with 76 K's in 57.2 innings.

In 2024, Muñoz had a real shot in the starting rotation for the Miami Marlins, making 18 appearances including 17 starts, but it resulted in a 2-7 record, 6.53 ERA, 1.585 WHIP and a bWAR of -0.9 as he struggled through his rookie year.

The Triple-A numbers were not as encouraging there as a starter, which likely prompted Muñoz's full-time move to the bullpen in 2025 and now arriving to Houston.

How Could Astros Deploy Muñoz?

Apr 15, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Roddery Munoz (35) pitches against the Houston Astros during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

In all likelihood, Houston took the chance on Muñoz because of his swing and miss ability, and the idea here is likely to improve their depth in the bullpen. Versatility never hurts though, and after a year in which it seemed every Astros pitcher spent a stint on the injured list, perhaps he could do either.

Clearly, Muñoz has some work to do in order to unlock whatever it is Houston sees in him, but if they were willing to take the financial chance on drafting him, perhaps it can be figured out.