The Houston Astros have traded away another pitcher.
The Astros announced on Wednesday that they had traded relief pitcher Nate Pearson, who was designated for assignment on Sunday, to the Kansas City Royals for pitching prospect Max Martin.
For this season, Pearson had appeared in 16 games with a 1-0 record, one save, 3.60 ERA, 16 strikeouts, and 12 walks in 20 innings pitched.
Pearson played for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2020 and 2021 before an injury sidelined him for all of 2022. He pitched again for the Blue Jays in 23-24 before being traded to the Chicago Cubs, with whom he finished the 2024 season and played all of 2025.
In his career, Pearson has a 10-6 record, 4.99 ERA, 176 strikeouts, and was part of a combined no-hitter in 2024.
Martin, meanwhile, has posted a 6-2 record with a 2.01 ERA in 26 relief appearances across two levels of Class A ball in the Royals organization this season. Martin was a 10th-round pick by the Royals in the 2025 draft.
The trade of Pearson is the third pitcher Astros General Manager Dana Brown has traded in recent weeks. Earlier this month, the Astros traded Lance McCullers Jr. and Colton Gordon to the Milwaukee Brewers for a prospect.
