Pirates' trade talks with Astros could hint at next pitcher to move

The Pittsburgh Pirates already got their offseason underway by trading right-handed pitcher Johan Oviedo to the Red Sox. As it turns out, he may not be the only major league-caliber starter shipped out by the Bucs this winter.

While Mitch Keller's name has dominated trade talks for the better part of the past year, it sounds like he's not the only option on the table as the Pirates continue to search for offensive upgrades. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Pirates have had trade discussions with the Houston Astros centered around Mike Burrows.

Burrows has become an attractive option for pitching-needy teams. The 26-year-old became a fixture in the Pirates' rotation later in the season, posting a 3.94 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and recording better than a strikeout per inning across 23 appearances. After battling arm injuries, he's averaging 95.5 MPH on his fastball and possesses a devastating changeup, against which opposing hitters batted .147, slugged .220, and whiffed 43.1% of the time in 2025.

According to Ben Cherington himself, who spoke to Pittsburgh media at the Winter Meetings, any further moves involving a starting pitcher would likely involve "something that's coming back immediately into our lineup." It doesn't appear that the team's acquisition of Jhostynxon Garcia fulfills this requirement, so multiple additional moves should be ahead.

Rosenthal cautions that the Burrows negotiations with the Astros "may have cooled" after the Pirates finalized their deal with Boston. He seemed to suggest that a Burrows-to-Houston trade would have netted Pittsburgh outfielder Jake Meyers, who, like Garcia, is a right-handed hitter who profiles as a plus defender in the grass.

While the Burrows-Houston connection may now be moot, and it's currently unknown to what extent the Pirates have discussed the right-hander with other teams, it's still significant that he has now been established as a potential trade chip. It's also worth noting that Rosenthal was the first to report that Oviedo was being pursued in trade talks last month.

Pirates' continued search for bats could cost them Mike Burrows.

The Pirates have made it clear that the team intends to exhaust every possible avenue that could help the club compete in 2026. Whether those avenues cost dollars or players remains to be seen, but it's obvious that all options are on the table, and that includes giving up a guy like Burrows.