Bleacher Report floated wild Astros trade for former All-Star that just might work

The Houston Astros’ starting rotation is in danger of being the club’s weakness entering 2026. With Framber Valdez likely on his way out the door in free agency, Houston’s ace, Hunter Brown, sits atop the Astros’ rotation in grim isolation. Despite Brown’s brilliance, he can’t carry the rotation alone. The Astros need to bring in another proven starter this winter, which could surprisingly lead them to a trade for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Mitch Keller.

It might sound crazy for Houston to dip into the well of the lowly Pirates for pitching reinforcements, but Keller’s talent is notable, with a 2023 All-Star selection to show for it. Keller’s 4.51 career ERA (4.19 in 2025) isn’t the stuff of Cy Youngs, but his durability is exactly what the Astros need. Keller has made 124 starts over the last four seasons, averaging 31 starts per campaign.

Given all of the injuries afflicting Houston’s staff, Keller’s consistent availability would be a welcome addition in 2026. That’s certainly one of the reasons Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller suggested a Keller trade for Houston in recent days.

Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller sees Mitch Keller as a prime target for the Astros

In a piece entitled, “The Most Likely Trade For All 30 MLB Teams in 2025-26 Offseason”, Miller identified Keller as Houston’s “prime target”, after establishing that the Astros’ priority on the trade market should be starting pitching.

“With Framber Valdez now a free agent while Ronel Blanco, Luis Garcia, Hayden Wesneski and Brandon Walter will each potentially miss all of 2026 following UCL surgeries, Houston's rotation is looking like a mess, even if Lance McCullers Jr. and Cristian Javier are actually healthy for a change,” Miller wrote.

“They need a workhorse to pair with Hunter Brown, and Mitch Keller has logged the sixth-most innings of any pitcher over the past three seasons. Sonny Gray is another option, though $35 million for one year is probably more than Houston can justify paying.”

Miller was on point to mention the veteran Cardinals starter, as it’s been revealed recently that Gray is open to waiving his no-trade clause this offseason. Still, Keller’s $16.9 million in 2026 is far cheaper than Gray’s number. And while the Astros would ostensibly be okay with continuing to pay Keller in 2027 ($18.4 million) and 2028 ($20.4 million), his rising cost might be one that the rebuilding Pirates are interested in cleaning their hands of.

With a considerable amount of young pitching talent, the Pirates could improve their offense and financial flexibility by trading Keller, who, by the way, is well aware of why that makes sense for Pittsburgh. In talking to the media after his last start of the season for Pittsburgh, Keller admitted that while he wasn’t focused on potentially having pitched his last outing in a Pirates uniform, he did suspect that he’d be dealt back in July.

“I thought that way around the trade deadline, but this one I didn't, for whatever reason,” Keller said, per MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf. “I guess my thoughts were not in that place. I was more concerned with just getting this last one done. Looking forward to next year."

Perhaps the Pirates’ front office, like Keller, isn’t considering a trade like they probably did over the summer. That doesn’t mean that Pittsburgh couldn’t be enticed by the right offer, though, and the Astros have good reason to craft a compelling package for Keller.