The Houston Astros have had a strong start to the 2026 season. At the time of this writing, the Astros are sporting a 5-2 record and are at the top of the American League West standings. They have also won each of their last five games, so they are undoubtedly red-hot right now.
The Astros starting the season off like this is certainly encouraging. Houston is entering this campaign with the hope of bouncing back from their frustrating 2025 season. While the Astros had a respectable 87-75 record in 2025, they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016. As a result of this, they are certainly looking to prove their doubters wrong in 2026.
With the Astros having high expectations for the season, they should be looking to add to their roster leading up to the 2026 MLB trade deadline. One of their biggest needs is another solid starting pitcher. Because of this, they are now being connected to a notable pitching trade candidate during the early stages of the 2026 season.
Houston Astros Named A Potential Trade Destination for San Diego Padres Pitcher Nick Pivetta
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Zachary D. Rymer looked at the top 10 trade candidates for the 2026 season. San Diego Padres pitcher Nick Pivetta made the cut, and Rymer named the Astros as a potential trade fit for the veteran righty.
“Pivetta would be a hot item on the trade market if he were made available. He had the best season of his career in 2025, posting a 2.87 ERA over 181.2 innings. Even before that, his stuff always rated well, suggesting such a breakout was inevitable,” Rymer wrote.
When looking at the Astros’ current pitching rotation, it is quite clear that they could use a pitcher like Pivetta in it. If the Astros struck a deal for him, he would slot nicely in the middle of their rotation. This would be excellent for an Astros team that is looking to be legitimate contenders during the 2026 season.
Pivettaj just had a strong first season with the Padres in 2025. In 31 appearances for the Padres in 2025, the 6-foot-5 righty had a 13-5 record, a 2.87 ERA, and a career-high 190 strikeouts. With numbers like these, he would be a very good pitcher for the Astros to add to their roster if the Padres end up shopping him ahead of the deadline.
Astros Are in A Prime Position to Make a Move for Pivetta
With the Astros looking to be a top team again, they should not be afraid to make a deal for a solid pitcher like Pivetta. This is especially so when noting that they lost star starting pitcher Framber Valdez in free agency to the Detroit Tigers during this offseason.
While the Padres would expect a decent return for Pivetta in a move, the Astros should be willing to pay the price. They need another impactful starter in their rotation, and Pivetta showed during this past season with San Diego that he is capable of being just that.
It will be interesting to see if the Astros end up striking a deal to land Pivetta from here.
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