On Saturday, the Houston Astros will continue their series with the Tampa Bay Rays in Florida.
They are coming off a 3-1 loss on Friday.
Houston Astros World Series Champion Still A Free Agent
With the season nearly over, it’s worth noting that a former Astros pitcher (Rafael Montero) is still a free agent.
He was released by the New York Yankees‘ organization last month.
As of September 12, Montero remains available to sign with any team in the MLB.
MLB.com wrote (on August 10): “Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders released RHP Rafael Montero.”
The 35-year-old did not appear in a game for the Yankees.
He had been with their Triple-A affiliate.
Looking At Montero’s Houston Run
Montero spent part of five seasons with the Astros in the middle of his career.
At one point, he was one of their best relievers.
In 2022, Montero went 5-2 with a 2.37 ERA in 71 games.
They also won the World Series title that same season.
The Rest Of Montero’s Career
Montero had spent the first four years of his MLB career with the New York Mets.
He then had stops with the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners before Houston.
Most recently, Montero pitched for the Atlanta Braves and Detroit Tigers in 2025.
Montero has gone 23-30 with a 4.68 ERA in 380 career games.
It will be interesting to see if he gets picked up by another team before the start of the 2027 season.
Looking At The Astros Right Now
The Astros are currently the top team in the American League West with a 75-73 record in 148 games.
They are 3.0 games ahead of the Texas Rangers (who are in second in the division).
Houston Astros World Series Champion Still A Free Agent After Yankees Release