The Houston Astros have acquired pitcher Kai-Wei Teng from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for minor leaguer catcher Jancel Villarroel and international bonus pool money.
Astros General Manager Dana Brown made the official announcement.
The 27-year-old spent his 2025 season in the Giants organization, making eight Major League appearances and 26 at the Triple A level. In his Major League action, Teng went 2-4 with 39 strikeouts and a 6.37 ERA (21ER/29.2IP), which included seven starts for the Giants.
At Triple A Sacramento, Teng mostly pitched out of the bullpen, posting a 3.95 ERA (23ER/57IP) with 89 strikeouts in his 26 outings (four starts). Teng, who’s from Taichung, Taiwan, was originally signed as an international free agent by the Minnesota Twins in 2017. He was traded to the Giants organization in 2019.
Villarroel split his 2025 season at Class A Asheville and Class A Fayetteville in the Astros minor league system. He was originally signed by Houston as an international free agent out of Venezuela back in 2022.
To make room for Teng on the roster, the Astros designated pitcher and former Tulane star J.P. France for assignment. The Astros 40-man roster remains full.
