Giants and Astros Complete Trade Agreement

The San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros have completed a trade agreement. The Giants will send pitcher Kai-Wei Teng and an undisclosed amount of international bonus money to the Astros. In exchange, the Giants will receive catching prospect Jancel Villarroel.

The trade allows the Giants to create a 40-man roster spot, which was required to finalize their two-year contract with Harrison Bader.

The Astros opened a roster spot by designating J.P. France for assignment.

Player Profile: Kai-Wei Teng

Teng, a 27-year-old right-handed pitcher, has made 12 MLB appearances over the past two seasons. He posted a 7.30 earned run average across 40 2/3 innings. He achieved a 23.7% strikeout rate but faced challenges with command, walking nearly 13% of opponents and hitting eight batters.

In Triple-A last season, Teng primarily worked in a relief role, recording a 3.63 ERA with a 37.1% strikeout percentage over 57 innings. His walk rate at that level was 9.2%.

Teng utilizes five pitches, with his four-seam fastball and sinker typically in the 93 MPH range. His mid-80s sweeper is a prominent secondary pitch. He possesses minor league options, allowing him to function as rotation depth or a long reliever.

The Astros reportedly valued his higher strikeout potential.

Player Profile: Jancel Villarroel

Villarroel, a 20-year-old Venezuelan catcher, was ranked as Houston's 20th-best prospect by Baseball America. In A-ball, he achieved a .259/.351/.388 batting line with eight home runs in 100 games.

He demonstrated a 10.4% walk rate and an 18% strikeout rate, also stealing 20 bases in 27 attempts.

Baseball America credits him with advanced pure hitting ability and strong arm strength, while his strike zone discipline and defensive skills are still in development.

He is projected as a potential future backup catcher.