Houston Astros trade polarizing pitcher in surprise move
TRADE ALERT
09 April
The Astros traded Rafael Montero to Atlanta. Composite Getty Image.
The Braves added to their bullpen depth on Tuesday night by acquiring right-hander Rafael Montero from the Houston Astros along with $7.7 million that will cover just over 70% of his remaining salary.
Atlanta will send the Astros a player to be named.
Montero, 34, has a 4.71 ERA in 11 seasons. Of his 324 career games, only 30 came as a starter, including none since 2017. He allowed two runs and three hits over in four innings this season.
Montero made his major league debut in 2014 with the New York Mets and has pitched the last five seasons for Houston.
Montero is owed $10,696,237 from his $11.5 million salary in the final season of a $34.5 million, three-year contract. Houston will pay Atlanta $3.85 million each on May 1 and July 1.
Astros ownership handed Montero his surprising contract while operating without a general manager following their split with James Click in 2022. The deal sent shockwaves not just through Houston’s fanbase, but across the entire league, reshaping the relief pitching market.
Montero has a 3.81 ERA in 187 games with the Astros. He has 30 career saves, including 14 for Houston in 2022, when he contributed to a World Series championship.
Montero had a 2.51 ERA in 15 postseason games with Houston.
Houston will recall left-hander Bennett Sousa from Triple A Sugar Land to replace Montero on the active roster.
The Braves did not immediately announce a roster move for Montero, who is expected to join the team on Wednesday.
The return of Carlos Correa was supposed to energize the Houston Astros, but their weekend trip to Fenway Park told a different story.
Despite getting Correa back into the lineup alongside Jeremy Peña, the Astros offense sputtered through a sweep at the hands of the Boston Red Sox. Houston scored just one run in two of the three games, continuing a troubling trend of inconsistency. Five of their last eight series have ended in a sweep — some in their favor, others not — underscoring the volatility that has defined much of their season.
One of the bigger culprits? A swing-first mentality that isn't paying off.
Since Isaac Paredes went down, manager Joe Espada’s lineup has reverted to its more aggressive roots. Jose Altuve, who recently notched a four-hit game, credited that performance to getting better pitches. But that approach has come with diminishing returns. Altuve and others are swinging early and often, but with little to show for it lately, a strategy that’s only exacerbating Houston’s offensive inconsistency.
If the bats aren’t going to carry them, pitching needs to step up and soon.
Astros x-factors
There’s some good news on that front. Spencer Arrighetti is slated to return during the Marlins series, likely in Game 2 or 3.
Spencer Arrighetti will pitch one of these two games, Joe Espada confirmed. TBD on which one. https://t.co/0uhkseIwdG
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) August 3, 2025
Cristian Javier is expected to need one more rehab outing before he’s ready to rejoin the rotation. Their returns couldn’t come at a better time.
With the offense struggling (Houston ranks 20th in runs scored over the last week and 29th in slugging since July 7) the Astros simply can't afford to keep patching together starts with depleted depth. Brandon Walter is dealing with an elbow issue, Lance McCullers Jr. remains sidelined with blisters, and Colton Gordon has faltered in recent outings.
Houston has done its best to tread water, but it’s clear that the current rotation mix isn’t sustainable. The Astros need Arrighetti and Javier to not just return, they need them to perform like legitimate big-league starters. Otherwise, a team built for another postseason run may find itself struggling just to stay afloat.
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