Astros DFA Former First-Round Pick In Mild Surprise
With Pearson's designation, the Astros now have three open spots on their 40-man roster.
A Mild Surprise
The move is somewhat unexpected on the surface.
Pearson made 16 appearances out of Houston's bullpen this season and posted a respectable 3.60 ERA across 20 innings, doing well to keep the ball in the yard by allowing just one home run.
The problem was everything underneath.
The Astros DFA’d Nate Pearson, per @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/okvB7pqzwZ
— SleeperAstros (@SleeperAstros) July 19, 2026
His 19.0 percent strikeout rate and 14.3 percent walk rate both graded out below average, with the walks being the more glaring issue for a pitcher whose entire profile was built on overpowering stuff.
Pearson also does not have any minor league options remaining, meaning the Astros could not simply send him to Triple-A when they needed the roster spot.
The Career
Pearson, 29, was taken 28th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2017 draft and was once ranked as the seventh-best prospect in all of baseball.
The 6-foot-6 right-hander has always had electric velocity, averaging 97.6 mph with his fastball and throwing 94 pitches at 100 mph or higher over the course of his career.
Turning that into consistent big league production has been the challenge.
He spent parts of five seasons with the Blue Jays and Cubs before Chicago released him last September, and he owns a career 4.99 ERA across 139 games.
Houston signed him to a one-year, $1.35 million deal in October, with GM Dana Brown having been a special assistant in Toronto when Pearson was originally drafted.
The Astros initially hoped he could compete for a rotation spot but ultimately used him exclusively in relief, where he even picked up a save earlier this season.
He should draw interest from teams looking for bullpen depth given the velocity and his ability to limit home runs.
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