MLB Transactions: Astros Add Depth, Angels Gamble on Former Prospect, Giants & guardians Bolster Pitching
Major League Baseball teams continued to reshape their rosters this week with a flurry of pitching moves, signaling preparations for teh upcoming 2026 season. The Houston Astros added veteran reliever Kendall Graveman on a one-year,$3 million deal,seeking bullpen stability. Graveman follows a path pioneered by players like Merrill Kelly, who successfully rebuilt their careers in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO). Houston’s rotation currently features only one certainty, Hunter Brown, with Cristian Javier, Lance McCullers Jr., Jason Alexander, Spencer Arrighetti, Nate Pearson, AJ blubaugh, and Colton Gordon vying for the remaining four spots.
The Los Angeles Angels took a meaningful risk, signing former first-round pick Alek Manoah to a $1.95 million contract. Manoah struggled through 2023 and 2024, and his minor league performance in 2025 did little to inspire confidence after being waived by the Toronto Blue Jays and non-tendered by the Atlanta Braves. The Angels’ hope hinges on Manoah’s optionability, though expectations for 30 quality starts in 2026 are considered optimistic.
In other moves, the San Francisco Giants secured left-handed reliever Sam Hentges for $1.4 million. Hentges, sidelined by shoulder and knee injuries for a season-and-a-half, previously excelled as a leverage arm for the Cleveland Guardians, posting a 2.93 ERA and 2.66 FIP in 138 innings from 2022-2024. The Giants also benefit from Hentges being under club control through arbitration until the end of the 2027 season.
The Guardians themselves added right-handed reliever Connor Brogdon on a fully guaranteed $900,000 deal. Out of options, Brogdon will compete for a spot in Cleveland’s bullpen during spring training. Like Hentges, Brogdon will not reach six years of service time until the conclusion of the 2027 season.
