William Purnell-Imagn Images

Astros Linked to Notable Starting Pitcher to Bolster Rotation in 2026

Originally posted on Houston Astros on SI
By Scott Roche | Last updated Oct 21, 2025 8:00 PM ET

There are some questions surrounding the Houston Astros' offseason, mainly when it comes to Framber Valdez's free agency.

If he leaves, how will the Astros fill his spot? And what will the rest of the rotation look like?

How the front office goes about filling the rotation remains to be seen, but they could address it through free agency or a trade. There are not a lot of eye-popping starters out there, with Dylan Cease being one of the names that sticks out alongside Valdez.

If Houston decides to look into some trade options, one they could turn to is a National League Central team, according to Kelly Miller of Bleacher Report.

Pirates Pitcher Mitch Keller Linked to Astros

Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Miller wrote about the most likely trade for all 32 teams this winter, and he linked Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed pitcher Mitch Keller as a move that would add another arm at the top of the rotation for the Astros with Hunter Brown.

"With Framber Valdez now a free agent while Ronel Blanco, Luis Garcia, Hayden Wesneski and Brandon Walter will each potentially miss all of 2026 following UCL surgeries, Houston's rotation is looking like a mess, even if Lance McCullers Jr. and Cristian Javier are actually healthy for a change. They need a workhorse to pair with Hunter Brown, and Mitch Keller has logged the sixth-most innings of any pitcher over the past three seasons,'' Miller wrote.

Keller went 6-15 this season with a 4.19 ERA in 176.1 innings. He also had 150 strikeouts to 51 walks and recorded a WHIP of 1.26. If Houston is interested in adding him, he won't come cheap. He still has three years remaining on a five-year deal for $77 million. He'll earn $16.8 million in 2026, $18.4 million in 2027 and $20.4 million in 2028.

That is good for Houston since they would have to hand out more to Valdez to re-sign him. The Astros' rotation will be a mess behind Brown if Valdez does leave in free agency. They'd have to bank on Lance McCullers Jr. and Cristian Javier to stay healthy to have a formidable unit.

There is no doubt that an arm or two is needed this offseason if Houston wants to go back to the playoffs next year after missing them in 2025. Keller would be a cheap and good option for the Astros to consider.