Grading Astros Offseason Trade Acquisitions Since World Series Ended

Did the Houston Astros make the right moves this offseason?

Houston Astros cap | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros recently lost their ace Framber Valdez to the Detroit Tigers, but the sting wasn't as painful as it would have been had the ballclub not made some early moves.

The Astros have caught up in a flurry of trade rumors in recent weeks, but for the time being, they've been able to trade for some potential. We've graded the franchise's trade acquisition to date since the World Series ended. Were these moves worth the cost?

Mike Burrows

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mike Burrows | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Right-hander Burrows made his professional debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in September 2024, playing with the franchise for two seasons. During that stint, he logged a 3.90 ERA and 99 strikeouts across 99.1 innings pitched through 24 games, 19 of which he started.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

In December 2025, the Pirates shipped him out to the Astros as part of a three-team trade, also involving the Tampa Bay Rays. While Houston received Burrows, Pittsburgh welcomed Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum and Mason Montgomery. In the same move, the Rays received Jacob Melton and Anderson Brito.

Burrows fit the bill for Houston rather seamlessly, as they made it clear that they were looking to bolster their starting rotation. However, losing Melton and Brito was not ideal, and the Astros faced criticism for waving them off.

Kai-Wei Teng

San Francisco Giants pitcher Kai-Wei Teng | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Teng, a fellow right-hander, is coming off a tough 2025 campaign with the San Francisco Giants, in which he recorded a 6.37 ERA and 39 strikeouts across 29.2 innings pitched through eight games, starting seven. But his 2024 stat sheet wasn't any better. In four games, he registered a 9.82 ERA and seven strikeouts across 11.0 innings pitched.

In January 2026, the Giants traded him to the Astros in exchange for minor leaguer Jancel Villarroel. Teng tends to throw sweepers above any other pitch, using it 39% of the time, per Baseball Savant. Overall, this was considered a low-risk trade with potential to pay off.

Nick Allen

Atlanta Braves shortstop Nick Allen | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

This was one of Houston's more notable moves this offseason. In a deal with the Atlanta Braves, the Astros said goodbye to utility man Mauricio Dubón. In return, Houston received infielder Nick Allen. Throughout 2025, Allen slashed .221/.284/.251 with a .535 OPS through 135 games.

He was named a finalist for the NL Gold Glove Award at shortstop, but his versatility is attractive to ballclubs. Losing Dubón was a risky move, but perhaps having a young gun in their lineup will end up being a wise move.

---