The Houston Astros started their offseason earlier than they have in any year since 2016, and they're already making moves to bolster their club.
Houston has signed former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Nate Pearson to a one-year Major League contract, the Astros announced on Tuesday. The deal is for $1.38 million, according to multiple reports.
Pearson started his career with the current American League champions, with Toronto selecting him 28th overall in the 2017 MLB Draft. He failed to become a consistent piece in the Blue Jays' bullpen, however, over four seasons, and Toronto traded him to the Chicago Cubs in 2024 for a pair of minor leaguers.
In 2024, he appeared in 19 games for the Cubs down the stretch, pitching to a 2.73 ERA and throwing the 8th inning of the Cubs' combined no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates in September.
Pearson stayed in Chicago in 2025 as well, but did not see much success, saddled with a 9.20 ERA over 11 appearances. He started the season in the Majors but split time between Chicago and Triple-A Iowa before the club designated him for assignment in September.
Pearson's numbers in Triple-A provide a little more insight into Houston's interest in him. In 38 appearances for Iowa, he had a 3.43 ERA with 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings. His walk rate was still high, but he also allowed just one home run in 44.2 innings with only 27 hits allowed. Opponents hit only .175 off of Pearson in Triple-A and he built a 1.140 WHIP.
His signing now makes the Astros' 40-man roster full.
By no means did the Astros have a bad bullpen in 2025. Behind closer Josh Hader, manager Joe Espada was able to build a reliable middle-late inning bridge. Houston relievers, however, did have a problem keeping the ball in the ballpark. The Astros bullpen allowed 81 home runs — tied for the sixth-most in the Major Leagues.
