2 Astros rotation solutions that won’t crush their tight offseason budget

NOTE: An earlier version of this story included Ryan Helsley, who signed with the Baltimore Orioles - as a closer - on Saturday afternoon. He went for market value (two years, $28M) and doesn't appear likely to change positions.

The Houston Astros' top need this offseason is a No. 2 starter to fill the void Framber Valdez is sure to leave, and slot in behind Hunter Brown and the question marks that follow. But that won't be the only hole the Astros will need to plug this winter.

Houston didn't maximize all of the cost savings available before the non-tender deadline, and is now stuck with only about $26 million to work with this winter in order to stay below the self-imposed limit that is the $244 million luxury tax line. Of course, they can't get right up next to the line either, as they'll need an emergency fund to bring into the regular season in order to maneuver as needed.

The unfortunate thing is that most starters who fit the bill of what they'd ideally be looking for will take up their entire budget, if not more. That wouldn't leave any room for another left-handed bat, a second baseman to share the load with Jose Altuve, or any other depth pieces that the roster could use.

With that in mind, Dana Brown will need to get creative. His options are half-measures, which are almost always doomed to fail, or finding an out-of-the-box solution. We're going to focus on the latter.

Two out-of-the-box free-agent options the Astros could use to fill the rotation and still have money left over for other needs

1. Sign Cody Ponce out of the KBO

Cody Ponce toiled for years in the minors, first for the Milwaukee Brewers and then for the Pittsburgh Pirates, only getting a brief taste of big league action in 2020 and 2021 with the Pirates. In a tick over 55 career innings pitched, Ponce recorded a 5.86 ERA and gave up a ghastly 2.11 HR/9. From there, he was off to Japan, where he ended up with some moderate success before struggling mightily in 2024.

From there, he migrated to Korea and completely reinvented himself. Ponce made 29 starts in 2025 in the KBO, logging 180.2 innings, striking out 252 batters, and posting a minuscule 1.89 ERA. On the strength of that sensational campaign, he became the first foreign-born pitcher to win the KBO MVP.

KBO competition isn't on the same wavelength as the majors, and it's a step behind the NPB in Japan as well. However, there are success stories like Merrill Kelly, who reinvented themselves in the KBO before carving out solid careers stateside.

Ponce isn't the same pitcher he was when he left, either. Scouts have noted that he's gotten bigger and stronger, he's added approximately two miles per hour to his fastball, which used to sit around 93, and developed a devastating splitter. Contract projections for him come in around two years and $8 million to $12 million per year, leaving the Astros ample money left over for another move. The risk his high, but the upside of a No. 2 starter is there.

2. Sign Tyler Mahle and hope for good health

Unlike potential option Ryan Helsley, Tyler Mahle is a pitch-to-contact arm who excels at generating soft contact. His 37.1% hard hit rate was a 77th percentile performance in 2025, and he was on his way to an absolutely spectacular season with a 2.18 ERA and 3.37 FIP through 16 starts.

Unfortunately, a large portion of Mahle's season was lost to shoulder fatigue. Injuries are nothing new for the 31-year-old right-hander. Over the past three seasons, he's thrown just 125 innings total. However, the last time Mahle stayed healthy for an entire season was 2021 with the Cincinnati Reds when he made 33 starts, tossed 180 frames, and posted a 3.75 ERA.

Signing Mahle would put Houston's new-look training staff to the test, but if they can keep him on the mound, he could certainly be a capable No. 2 starter. Like the others, a short-term contract with approximately a $10 million salary should get the job done.

Obviously, there's a lot of risk with all three of these guys, but any could have the upside the Astros crave while leaving room in the budget to plug other holes. It's not the position they'd like to be in, but taking one of these paths would be taking the lemons of their financial situation and possibly ending up with some tasty lemonade.