Houston Astros bolster bullpen in Royals swap

TRADE ALERT!

The Houston Astros were in need of some serious help in the bullpen with Phil Maton, Hector Neris, and Ryne Stanek likely leaving this year in free agency.

 

While some fans were getting concerned about the quiet offseason, the club has made two moves this week to get the ball rolling.

First the team signed Victor Caratini to be the backup catcher, and now they have added some relief pitching.

The Astros traded pitching prospect Carlos Mateo to the Royals for RHP pitcher Dylan Coleman.

 

Coleman is under club control for the next several years, and made just over $700,000 in 2022. With the Astros right up against the tax threshold, this is a good way to add to the bullpen without having to hand out a large contract.

The Royals had a tough roster decision to make with Coleman, and the Astros made the decision easy for them by making the trade.

Something to note

There's a reason Kansas City wasn't determined to protect Coleman from the Rule 5 Draft. Despite his decent numbers over the last three seasons, 2023 was a rough year for him, posting an 8.84 ERA over 23 games.

In fact, Coleman pitched more innings (30.2) for the Royals AAA team than he did for the big league club (18.1) in 2023.

Hopefully, the Astros can get him back on track this season with some help from their highly touted player development program.

You can watch some of his 2022 highlights above.

Most Popular

The Astros beat the Nationals, 7-4. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

Yainer Diaz and Mauricio Dubón each had three hits, and the Houston Astros beat the Washington Nationals 7-4 on Tuesday night to stop a five-game slide.

 

Christian Walker had two hits and two RBIs for the AL West-leading Astros. Bennett Sousa (5-0) got four outs for the win, and Josh Hader struck out the side in the ninth for his 28th save.

Luis García Jr. hit a two-run drive for last-place Washington, which had won three straight and five of seven overall. CJ Abrams had three hits.

García connected for his ninth homer in the third inning, lifting the Nationals to a 2-1 lead. But Diaz responded with a solo shot in the fourth for his 14th homer.

Walker singled and scored on Cooper Hummel’s pinch-hit single in the fifth, and the Astros grabbed control with three more runs in the sixth.

Altuve singled home Dubón for a 4-2 lead, and Walker followed with a two-run single against Andry Lara.

Andrew Chafin (1-1) took the loss.

Washington right-hander Michael Soroka allowed two runs and four hits in 3 1/3 innings in his final start before Thursday’s trade deadline.

___________________________

Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!

https://houston.sportsmap.com/advertise

Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM