Getty
The Astros recently acquired pitcher Kai-Wei Teng in a trade with the Giants
The Houston Astros have done quite a bit of work to their roster this offseason, but with the 2026 campaign drawing near, there are still some moves to be made. That was clear in recent days, as the Astros made several moves in an effort to bolster their pitching depth ahead of the new season.
With the American League West still appearing to be up for grabs, every more Houston makes this offseason could end up being wildly important. So when the team made a handful of moves involving pitchers Kai-Wei Teng, Tom Cosgrove, and J.P. France, fans were quick to take note and begin wondering what they could mean for the new season.
Astros Trade for Kai-Wei Tang, Sign Tom Cosgrove, DFA J.P. France
Entering the offseason, it was clear that the Astros were going to have some work to do when it comes to their pitching staff. With Framber Valdez hitting free agency, there was a decent shot that Houston would be losing its ace. Valdez is still up for grabs, but it doesn’t seem all that likely that he will be returning to the Astros.
As a result, the front office has been looking for diamonds in the rough throughout the offseason. The latest fliers involve the team acquiring Teng and Cosgrove. Teng was added in a trade with the San Francisco Giants after he struggled in 2025, posting a 2-4 record with a 6.37 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 29.2 innings of work. Cosgrove, meanwhile, was signed to a minor-league contract after allowing just one earned run in four innings of work with the Chicago Cubs last year.
As is always the case, when new players come to town, that means somebody has to head for the exit door. In this case, France ended up getting the boot, as he was designated for assignment by the team in the wake of its move for Teng. France only pitched four innings for Houston last season, giving up one earned run during his limited time on the mound.
“The Astros acquired right-handed pitcher Kai-Wei Teng in a trade with the Giants in exchange for Minor League catcher Jancel Villarroel on Thursday,” Brian McTaggart and Jared Greenspan wrote for MLB.com. “Right-hander J.P. France was designated for assignment to make room for Teng on the 40-man roster. The Astros also struck an agreement Thursday with left-hander Tom Cosgrove on a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training, a source said.”
Astros Will Feature New-Look Pitching Staff in 2026
Hunter Brown
Even if Valdez does not return to the Astros, the team still has a solid one-two punch with Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier leading the way, with Spencer Arrighetti and free-agent signing Tatsuya Imai also factoring into the mix. Teng could challenge for a spot in the starting rotation if he can string together some strong starts during Spring Training, while Cosgrove could carve out a role for himself in the bullpen.
Houston still has some work to do, as trade rumors continue to swirl around Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker. Moving one of those guys could allow the team to shore up its pitching staff even more, or add another impact bat to the lineup. The Astros have likely conducted the majority of their offseason business already, but there’s still work to be done as Spring Training draws near.
Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is a Breaking News Writer at Heavy. In addition to writing for Heavy, Owen works as a Content Producer for More Views Media. His work has also appeared on ClutchPoints, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli
More Heavy on Astros
Loading more stories
