The Astros are reducing their rotation depth in 2025 with a surprising roster move involving an injured pitcher

The Houston Astros certainly have a personnel crisis this offseason, and that's exactly why general manager Dana Brown said the Astros may need to get “creative.” One of the reasons Houston may be forced to get weird in managing its roster is trying to cover any injuries to its pitching staff, including Jose Urquidy.

Urquidy was a somewhat polarizing figure among Houston fans. While he is occasionally a very useful rotation arm, the idea of ​​using him in the bullpen has been toyed around for some time, as his lack of swing and miss makes him a high-variance starting option for a large sample. His use came into question in 2024 as he began the season on the IL with a forearm strain and ultimately required Tommy John surgery in early June.

Most simply assumed that Urquidy would remain with the Astros in 2025 and factor back into the team's plans at some point once he was healthy again. Instead, Urquidy cleared waivers just before free agency began at 5:00 p.m. EST, and the Astros are letting him hit the open market.

Jose Urquidy is now a free agent after the Astros decided to move on

Urquidy's injury has certainly put a damper on his future, but this move is still quite surprising. Since 2020, Urquidy posted a 3.98 ERA in 70 appearances and had become a fixture on the Astros' pitching staff. Even in the final year of his arbitration, it is estimated that he only received around $3.75 million, which could be a bargain given the current prices for quality guns.

However, Houston's move here could mean a few things. First, saving a few million by releasing Urquidy could make all the difference in the offers they make to Alex Bregman or others this offseason, considering how close they are to the luxury tax. It may seem like stinginess, but there is a financial reality that the Astros are grappling with.

Additionally, Urquidy's injury may not be resolved until late 2025 due to the timing of his surgery. Sure, there's a chance he can rehab quickly and be back to fitness in 12 months, but teams are moving away from these extremely aggressive rehab schedules with pitchers to guard against the recurrence of arm problems, and that could mean that Urquidy would not be back until well into the second half of 2025. Houston might feel like it's not worth the money to keep Urquidy around since his return is far from certain.

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