Astros Reportedly Showing Interest in Three Young Starting Pitchers on Trade Market

The Houston Astros have much work to do when it comes to their pitching unit, and recently, there were some names added to their list of potential targets.

Aug 29, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Payton Tolle (70) reacts to fans after being relieved of pitching duties against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the sixth inning at Fenway Park. | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros have been amidst many different reports recently, with winter meetings kicking off, both when it comes to adding to the roster and subtracting from it. One of the biggest points of emphasis for the Astros has been looking into starting pitching to add alongside Hunter Brown, as with Framber Valdez hitting the open market, they are going to be trying to add younger, controllable arms instead in his place.

Plenty of discussions have been taking place so far around the MLB, and a few deals have been done, but it has mostly just been rumors as of late. When it comes to Houston, they are centered mostly around trades, as the current likelihood is that they will want to steady their payroll a bit and not push further upwards unless necessary.

A recent report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required) put them right in the mix for three different young starting pitchers, all of which are trade options and not free agents.

Which Starting Pitchers Have the Astros Been Exploring on the Trade Market?

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

According to the recent report from Rosenthal, the Astros are in on two young arms from the Boston Red Sox and one from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Regarding the two Red Sox starters, he stated the following:

"The Astros, seeking controllable starting pitchers, are interested in one of the Red Sox’s two young lefties, Payton Tolle or Connelly Early."

Then, regarding the Pirates pitcher, he noted that the interest may be a bit subdued after a recent trade elsewhere, but there have been conversations:

"They have spoken to the Pittsburgh Pirates about righty Mike Burrows, but those talks may have cooled since the Pirates acquired outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia from the Red Sox."

All of these options are pretty pricey in terms of what will be needed as a return asset. Burrows had an outstanding first full season in Pittsburgh, posting a 3.94 ERA and 1.240 WHIP in 96 innings, with 97 strikeouts, 31 walks, a 109 ERA+ and 1.5 fWAR accumulated. With the Pirates already having dealt one starting pitcher in Johan Oviedo this winter, they may be less likely to deal another.

Connelly Early was a late-season call-up for Boston, but in four starts, he made it clear that he could be a long-term asset. Over those four starts, he accrued 19.1 innings pitched, a 2.33 ERA, 1.086 WHIP, 29 strikeouts, four walks, no home runs allowed and 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

Connelly Early's first 9 MLB innings:
0 R
16 K pic.twitter.com/p1IT03p1nZ

— MLB (@MLB) September 16, 2025

Tolle was put in a similar position as a late-season promotion, and while his stats showcase a bit of a struggle, his fastball indicates immense potential long-term. With a 6.06 ERA, 1.592 WHIP, 19 strikeouts, eight walks, five home runs allowed and a 0-1 record, he was moved to the bullpen for a bit to try and sort things out. A full offseason process should help him, though, as would maybe a trade elsewhere if the Red Sox deem him expendable.

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