Ex-Astros first-rounder cut by Rays, headed to Japan

Conor Liguori

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Ex-Astros first-rounder cut by Rays, headed to Japan image

The Tampa Bay Rays released a former first-round pick of the Houston Astros on Tuesday, allowing right-handed starting pitcher Forrest Whitley to pursue a Nippon Professional Baseball opportunity in Japan. 

Whitley, the 17th overall selection in the 2016 MLB Draft, made just eight appearances with the Astros, including five outings as a reliever this past season. Houston designated the 28-year-old for assignment in June, trading him to the Rays for cash considerations shortly thereafter. 

Whitley never lived up to the hype that made him one of baseball's top prospects nearly a decade ago. He suffered multiple setbacks, including a failed drug test in 2018 and Tommy John Surgery in 2021. 

Whitley's career trajectory 

Whitley finished the 2025 season strong with the Durham Bulls, the Triple-A affiliate of the Rays. He posted a 2.60 ERA in 13 games (12 starts), logging 55.1 innings with a 30.4% strikeout rate. 

When the Astros drafted Whitley in 2016, the organization likely viewed him as a future star who could form a super rotation sometime down the road with Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, and Dallas Keuchel. This past May, Whitley was open with The Athletic's Chandler Rome about his career not going as planned. 

“I told (manager Joe Espada) this, I told the pitching coaches this: I honestly feel embarrassed every time I have to go on the IL or something pops up,” Whitley told Rome about his struggles with injuries during his time with the Astros. “I don’t want it to be a reflection of my work ethic. I feel I do everything I can to stay on the field, and it just hasn’t worked out lately." 

Now, Whitley has a chance to revitalize his career with an NPB team in Japan. If he performs well enough, he could be back on an MLB mound sooner rather than later. 

 

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Editorial Team