WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Mike Burrows was throwing live batting practice Tuesday, the kind of easygoing early-spring session where hitters track pitches and pitchers sometimes chat between deliveries.
Burrows wasn’t in a chatting mood.
Manager Joe Espada stood behind the plate watching Houston’s newest right-hander and noticed something immediately. Not just the mid-90s fastball or the swing-and-miss changeup, but the edge.
“He’s got a little bit of red-ass in him, which I like a lot,” Espada said. “He’s got some intensity in him. I really like not only the stuff but the demeanor.”
That edge, paired with six full years of team control, is why Houston parted with two top prospects, outfielder Jacob Melton and pitcher Anderson Brito, to acquire the 26-year-old from Pittsburgh this winter. Burrows arrives with just 99⅓ career MLB innings but is expected to slot directly into the middle of the Astros’ rotation.
The Outing That Put Him on Houston’s Radar
General manager Dana Brown first took serious notice of Burrows when the right-hander faced Houston last season.
After opening the year at Triple-A, Burrows joined Pittsburgh’s rotation in late May. His third start came against the Astros at PNC Park. He scattered five hits across 5⅓ scoreless innings, struck out six and didn’t walk a batter in a Pirates shutout.
“He was up to 96 mph that day with that filthy changeup that he throws,” Brown said. “So he certainly caught my attention and some of our staff’s attention.”
Espada was watching too.
“You’ve got your scouting report, but once you see that he performs at that level, I want to know more about the guy,” Espada said. “And Burrows is one of those guys that you write down in your notes like, ‘If this guy is ever available and he’s got X amount of years of control, let’s get him.’”
A Rotation Searching for Stability
Burrows spent most of 2025 in the majors after returning from Tommy John surgery, posting a 3.94 ERA over 96 innings across 19 starts. The raw innings total isn’t eye-popping, but in this Astros camp, it stands out.
Hunter Brown is the only starter in camp who threw more than 100 MLB innings last season. Cristian Javier made just eight starts in 2025 after his own Tommy John return. Spencer Arrighetti battled injuries. Lance McCullers Jr. continued to search for consistency.
New additions Tatsuya Imai and Ryan Weiss bring international success but must adjust to major league hitters. Nate Pearson has primarily worked out of the bullpen.
That makes Burrows’ role clear: dependable volume in a rotation that needs it.
Brown said in December that the club would be “excited” to get 160-plus productive innings from Burrows, a workload that would help offset the loss of Framber Valdez in free agency.
The Astros will likely manage Burrows carefully. His 128⅓ combined innings between Triple-A and the majors last season marked a professional high. A six-man rotation at times remains possible, especially early, to protect arms across the staff.
An Opportunity, Not a Rejection
Burrows expected he might be traded this winter. When it finally happened on December 19, he found out through a fantasy football group chat.
“It’s an honor to know that somebody wants you that bad, and a team like this wants you,” Burrows said. “That’s where my head went first.”
Pittsburgh used Burrows as part of a larger deal to acquire All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe. Houston landed a controllable starter who won’t reach free agency until after 2031.
For now, Burrows is focused on one thing: proving the Astros right.
That competitive fire Espada noticed in February?
It’s not going anywhere.