The Houston Astros added to their pitching depth Thursday by acquiring right-hander Kai-Wei Teng from the San Francisco Giants in a trade for minor-league catcher Jancel Villarroel.

Right-hander J.P. France was designated for assignment by Houston to create a spot on the 40-man roster for Teng. The Astros also sent international slot money to the Giants in the deal.

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Teng, 27, pitched as both a starter and reliever in the Giants system, splitting the last two seasons between Triple-A and the majors. He owns a 7.30 ERA in 40â…” major-league innings with San Francisco, with 46 strikeouts and 25 walks in that sample.

Teng has major-league options remaining, making him a flexible addition to the Astros’ pitching depth. He posted a 3.63 ERA at Triple-A last year, striking out 89 batters over 57 innings and holding opponents to a .197 batting average.

The Astros will open this season by playing 26 games in 28 days and plan to use a six-man rotation for at least part of that stretch. A pitcher like Teng, who has options and can work multiple innings, could help bolster a shorthanded bullpen when Houston is going with six starters, if he is used as a reliever.

Houston’s bullpen candidates include Josh Hader, Bryan Abreu, Steven Okert, Enyel De Los Santos and Nate Pearson, who are all out of options. Roddery Muñoz, another bullpen candidate, was acquired in the Rule 5 draft and must be offered back to the Reds if he does not make the opening day roster.

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France spent most of 2023 in the Astros’ rotation, posting a 3.83 ERA in 136â…“ innings. He dealt with a shoulder injury that led to surgery in July 2024 and sidelined him into the 2025 season. France returned to the Astros in a bullpen role late last season and made two relief outings.

Villarroel, 21, was signed by the Astros as an amateur free agent in 2022 and spent last season between Single-A Fayetteville and High-A Asheville, posting a .259/.351/.388 slash line in 85 games. MLB Pipeline ranked Villarroel as the Astros’ No. 13 overall prospect at the end of 2025. Baseball America ranked him the team’s No. 20 overall prospect.

This article originally published at Houston Astros acquire right-handed pitcher Kai-Wei Teng in trade with San Francisco Giants.