Astros acquire pitcher Gerrit Cole in trade with Pittsburgh Pirates
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Houston Astros have acquired right-handed pitcher Gerrit Cole in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Pittsburgh will receive pitcher Joe Musgrove, third baseman Colin Moran, reliever Michael Feliz and Minor League outfielder Jason Martin from the Astros.
Cole went 12-12 with a 4.26 ERA and 196-to-55 strikeout-to-walk ratio while making a career-high 33 starts in 2017.
He has one year of arbitration remaining and could command a hefty salary bump in 2019, one of the reasons the Pirates had explored trading him in recent weeks.
Cole will be added to a rotation that features Justin Verlander, Dallas Keuchel, Charlie Morton, Lance McCullers Jr. and Brad Peacock.
The Astros will open the 2018 season against the Texas Rangers on March 29.
Information from ESPN was used in this report.
