The Houston Astros, for the first time in a long time, missed the playoffs entirely. Houston came up short of a litany of reasons, one of the main being the health of their team. So many key players were hurt this past season, including Yordan Alvarez and Josh Hader.
But, with the season now behind them, the Astros are looking ahead to 2026 to try and build a roster that can contend once more. Dana Brown and the Astros are looking to improve the team, and they've already begun that process.
With both League Championship series ongoing, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports that the Astros have agreed to a one-year contract with a former Chicago Cubs reliever who was designated for assignment after posting a 9.20 ERA in 11 outings.
Astros sign former Cubs 9.20 ERA reliever to one-year, $1.35 million deal
"The Astros are in agreement with right-handed pitcher Nate Pearson on a one-year, $1.35 million contract, pending physical, source tells @TheAthletic," Rome reported.
The Astros are in agreement with right-handed pitcher Nate Pearson on a one-year, $1.35 million contract, pending physical, source tells @TheAthletic.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) October 17, 2025
This move from the Astros is the first of likely many this offseason for Houston as they look to revamp the roster after a disappointing 2025 season.
Pearson is a 29-year-old right-handed reliever who has spent time with the Toronto Blue Jays and Cubs across his five-year MLB career. This past season with the Cubs, he pitched in 11 games, finishing with a 9.20 ERA across 14.1 innings pitched.
He walked 10 batters and struck out seven this year before being released by the Cubs in late September. Now with the Astros, Pearson is looking to rebound from a tough season in Chicago.
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But his role won't be the same as it was in 2025. This season in Houston, Pearson is going to be tried out as a starting pitcher. Across his 123 games in his MLB career, Pearson has started just six times.
He started four games in 2020, putting up a 6.00 ERA in the process. In 2024, he made one start for the Cubs, and across his 19 games in Chicago in 2024, he had a very solid 2.73 ERA. The same couldn't be said about his 2025 season, but there's some intrigue about whether Pearson could turn things around in a new role in Houston.
The former first-round draft pick by the Blue Jays in the 2017 MLB Draft has struggled to carve out a stable role in the Majors. In Houston, he's returning to a starting role, as the Astros look to add more insurance in their rotation after a 2025 season marred by starting pitcher injuries.
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