TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Houston Astros acquired Taiwanese pitcher Teng Kai-wei (鄧愷威) from the San Francisco Giants on Friday (Jan. 30), sending minor league catcher Jancel Villarroel to San Francisco in exchange. Teng becomes the third Taiwanese player in Astros history, following Lo Chia-jen (羅嘉仁) and Lin Che-hsuan (林哲瑄). The Astros cleared a 40-man roster spot for Teng by designating pitcher J.P. France for assignment.
Teng, 27, thanked the Giants on social media for their support and development, stating he will embrace this new chapter with the Houston Astros "with a grateful heart." He also thanked the Astros for their recognition and vowed to face new challenges "with full effort," acknowledging fans whose support helped him persevere through difficulties. Over the past two MLB seasons, Teng appeared in 12 games, posting a 7.30 earned run average (ERA).
The trade was largely driven by the Giants' recent signing of outfielder Harrison Bader to a two-year deal worth US$20.5 million (around NT$643 million), according to MLB Trade Rumors (MLBTR). Bader is expected to serve as the team's starting center fielder in the upcoming season. To make room on the 40-man roster for Bader, the Giants opted to trade Teng to Houston.
Teng will face stiff competition in Houston, where the starting rotation is anchored by Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, Tatsuya Imai, and Lance McCullers Jr. The back end features pitchers including Mike Burrows and Ryan Weiss, who previously played in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (中華職棒, CPBL), Taiwan's top professional league. Weiss later recorded 16 wins in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) before returning to the majors, and spring training will be key for Teng as he competes for a roster spot. ◼ (At time of reporting, US$1 equals approximately NT$31.35)