The Houston Astros’ primary goal this offseason was to sign a talented young starting pitcher under team control for the future, and they have now found one. That pitcher is Mike Burrows.
The Astros acquired the 26-year-old right-hander in a massive three-team trade also involving the Tampa Bay Rays and Pittsburgh Pirates that finalized Friday afternoon, first reported by Chandler Rome and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Astros Secure New Starting Pitcher in Huge 3-Team Trade
Houston acquired Burrows from the Pirates and sent outfielder Jacob Melton and right-handed pitcher Anderson Brito to the Rays. The Pirates received two-time All-Star infielder Brandon Lowe, alongside outfielder Jake Mangum and left-hander Mason Montgomery, from the Rays. The Astros were the only team to receive one player, but they landed a pitcher who fit their needs.
Welcome to H-Town, Mike! ? pic.twitter.com/0NJb3FzxBc
— Houston Astros (@astros) December 19, 2025
The Astros are not in a position to spend heavily this winter and have focused on bolstering their pitching staff creatively. Acquiring Burrows marks their biggest move so far. Houston faces an empty spot in their starting rotation with Framber Valdez likely to move on. The Astros also need a reliable arm early in the season, as Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski return from Tommy John surgery.
Besides those two, Cristian Javier will play a big role in the rotation after an inconsistent return from TJ surgery alongside Spencer Arrighetti and Lance McCullers Jr., who dealt with their fair share of injuries. Burrows will be heavily involved.
More on New Astros Starting Pitcher Mike Burrows
Burrows will enter just his third major league season with the Astros this spring after making his debut in late September of 2024. He pitched just over three innings that year. The 2018 draft pick by the Pirates took a big step forward last season.
Burrows posted a 3.94 ERA in 23 games (19 starts) with a 1.240 WHIP and .243 opponent average. The 6-foot-1, 200-lb starter threw 97 strikeouts in 96 innings pitched and finished with a 2-4 record. While it was a rough start for him in May, Burrows’ ERA steadily dropped, reaching a season low of 3.63 after a scoreless five-inning outing on July 5.
In his last seven games of 2025, Burrows threw for a 2.31 ERA in 23 1/3 innings and allowed only six earned runs. Even in his last 15 games, he maintained a 3.82 ERA in 61 1/3 innings.
Astros general manager Dana Brown believes Burrows can be a pillar in the rotation. With his young age and team control, Houston aims to develop him into a reliable starter. Burrows remains under pre-arbitration control until 2028 and team control until 2032.
Astros GM Dana Brown called Mike Burrows “an upside play” that the Astros feel “can be a pillar in our rotation.” Brown said the Astros plan on adding a two-seamer to Burrows’ arsenal.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) December 19, 2025
The Stuff Burrows Has
While his four-seam fastball is not too impressive at the moment, his off-speed pitching stands out. Burrows relies on four pitches: the fastball, changeup, slider, and curveball. His best pitch is the changeup, and it is nasty. Burrows’ changeup allows only a .147 batting average against with a 43.1% whiff rate, according to Baseball Savant. His slider is also effective, allowing just a .203 average.
Mike Burrows has absolutely DISGUSTING stuff.
He’s young and under team control until 2032. Really like this move for the Astros.
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) December 19, 2025
The Astros bring some variety to their starting rotation, as Hunter Brown and Javier are strong with their fastballs. Burrows gives them something different, and Houston has done a great job over the years developing pitchers and adding new weapons to their arsenal. That is exactly what Brown wants to do, as they are planning to add a two-seam fastball to his repertoire. It’s possible this would bring down his four-seamer use and increase its effectiveness.
Burrows employs the four-seam 39% of the time and gives up a .326 batting average against, with an average velocity of 95.5 mph. His changeup and slider are used 24% and 20% of the time, respectively. The Astros have transformed pitchers like Valdez, Javier, and Brown in the past. You may recall Gerrit Cole was acquired from the Pirates back in 2017 and turned into one of the best in the game. Burrows is expected to play a big role, and the Astros are counting on him.
The Current Equation
With his return from Tommy John surgery in 2023, there was still a build-up of innings. Brown is targeting around 160 innings for the young hurler. The Astros currently have Jake Meyers and Zach Cole in center field, and losing one of their best prospects in Melton was just part of the equation. Additionally, Anderson Brito was very promising as a young pitcher, but the Astros needed immediate pitching help. Burrows fills that role.
Main Photo Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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