New Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker smiles during a baseball press conference at Minute Maid Park, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)
Astros Make Pitching Moves Amid Decision on Former Top Prospect
The Houston Astros have opted to leave former top-30 prospect Jon Singleton off their Opening Day roster. Despite shedding 20 pounds over the winter, Singleton struggled to make an impact in spring training. He managed just a .171/.239/.195 slash line across 46 plate appearances in the Grapefruit League, which ultimately hurt his chances of securing a roster spot.
The Astros have shifted their focus to bolstering their bullpen, planning to carry four relief pitchers into their home opener against the New York Mets on March 27. Astros manager Joe Espada confirmed the team’s plan to reinforce the bullpen, adding four relievers to the roster. Left-handers Bryan King and Steven Okert, along with right-handers Luis Contreras and Rafael Montero, will provide much-needed depth as Houston prepares for Opening Day.
Espada emphasized his decision to give Montero another opportunity, noting that the right-hander opted to stay with Houston this season despite facing a potential release. “He was very grateful,” Espada said. “He said, ‘Last year I had the opportunity to get my release or my ticket out of here and I chose not to, because I knew that you guys gave me a chance once and I know you guys are going to give me a chance again.’ It was great to hear that.”
By bolstering the bullpen, Espada prioritized pitching depth over power at the plate, making the tough call to cut a key bat from the lineup.
“We are assessing our next step with Singy, but he will not be making our club,” he added. “Just the way our roster is being shaped right now and the direction, we want to go and give some other players a look. It wasn’t easy … but sometimes we’ve got to make those tough decisions.” With their bullpen set, the Astros are gearing up to take on the Mets in their 2025 season opener, ready to put their revamped roster to the test.
Montero, Okert Will Make Astros’ Roster; Singleton Will Not
Veteran right-hander Rafael Montero has made the Astros’ Opening Day roster, reports Ari Alexander of Houston’s KPRC-2. Lefty Steven Okert has also made the cut, per MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart. Righty Luis Contreras has also made the club, per Alexander. Lefty Bryan King will also break camp, while non-roster righty Logan VanWey will head to Triple-A. McTaggart adds that first baseman Jon Singleton has been informed that he will not make the team. Both Montero and Okert were non-roster invitees in camp, meaning both will need to be selected to the 40-man roster.
Yesterday’s release of Ben Gamel opened one vacancy on the 40-man for the Astros, and it seems another will be created by designating Singleton for assignment, trading him or releasing him. Singleton is on the 40-man roster but out of minor league options, so one way or another he’ll be coming off between now and Opening Day. If he goes unclaimed on waivers, he could potentially remain with the organization by accepting an outright assignment — but he’d also have the right to reject that assignment in favor of free agency.
Montero, 34, is in the final season of an ill-fated three-year, $34.5MM deal signed when the Astros were operating without a general manager in place. Owner Jim Crane and advisor Jeff Bagwell were reported to be running baseball operations at the time, having parted ways with James Click following the 2022 season. That period produced regrettable agreements with both Montero and the since-released Jose Abreu, to whom the ’Stros still owe $19.5MM this season.
Montero’s deal quickly blew up in similar fashion to that of Abreu. He pitched to a 5.08 ERA in 2023, allowing an average of 1.47 homers per nine frames along the way, and was tagged for a 4.70 mark in 38 1/3 innings in 2024, proving even more homer-prone that season. Houston passed Montero through waivers last summer, and he opted to accept a minor league assignment despite the fact that he could’ve elected free agency and retained his entire salary.
The hard-throwing Montero will now return to Houston’s bullpen, at least for the start of the season. He allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits and seven walks with 10 strikeouts in 8 2/3 spring innings. Statistically speaking, Montero didn’t have the best spring of Astros NRIs (particularly with regard to that 18.4% walk rate), but the Astros are paying him $11.5MM regardless, so they’ll try to recoup some value and hope he can trend closer to his outstanding 2022 form.
Okert, 33, is another story entirely. He signed a minor league deal back in November and promptly gave the ’Stros no choice but to carry him on the roster. In 11 spring frames, Okert held opponents scoreless. The veteran southpaw allowed only four baserunners — two hits, two walks — and fanned 17 of the 36 batters he faced (47.2%). His minor league deal carries a $1.2MM base salary.
Okert was a productive reliever with the Marlins in 2022-23 but struggled through 35 1/3 innings with the Twins in 2024. His lone season in Minnesota resulted in a 5.09 ERA with a 20.6% strikeout rate (second-lowest of his career) and 10% walk rate. On top of a diminished strikeout rate and shaky command, Okert yielded a career-high 1.53 HR/9.
The 28-year-old Contreras, like Okert, made it hard for the Astros to leave him off the roster. He’s already on the 40-man and could’ve been optioned, but he rattled off 9 2/3 shutout frames during camp, fanning 32.5% of his opponents. His 10% walk rate could stand to come down, but if Contreras can continue to miss bats at that level, he could get by with a higher-than average rate of dishing out free passes. He made his big league debut for Houston last year but was tagged for six runs in six innings. His strong spring will earn him another look, though.
As for Singleton, this wave of decisions will cost him his 40-man roster spot. The former top prospect returned to the Astros in 2023 after a brief appearance with the Brewers. That MLB comeback came on the heels of an eight-year absence. He wound up serving as Houston’s primary first baseman in 2024, after the club cut Abreu. Singleton hit .234/.321/.386 and popped 13 home runs but struggled with the glove and on the basepaths. He hit just .171/.239/.195 in 46 spring plate appearances. Those struggles, plus the offseason signing of Christian Walker to play first base, left Singleton with a tough path to the roster and a limited role if he’d made it.
