Houston Astros officially sign former Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher

We're about to find out.

The Houston Astros have officially signed the towering right hander to one year deal. In a transaction that was initially reported last week by the Chandler Rome of the Athletic, the deal is $1.35MM, but comes with $150K incentives, mostly for reaching a certain amount of innings pitched.

The key thing for Pearson in regards to this deal is that he will get to be a starter again, pitching out of the rotation for the first time since his brief debut in 2020.

Big Nate was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1st round of the 2017 draft, where he was the 28th overall pick. He signed for $2.45MM signing bonus and finished his first professional season with an 0.90 ERA.

Once considered a top prospect for Toronto and a potential future ace for their rotation, he never really found his footing at the major league level.

After a brief 2020, he had an up-and-down 2021 before missing all of 2022 with injuries. While he seemed to have turned a corner in 2023, earning a 2.16 ERA while pitching out of the bullpen, he regressed in 2024, garnering an ERA over 5.00.

At the trade deadline, the Blue Jays dealt him to the Chicago Cubs. While he appeared in 19 games - including one start - and a 2.73 ERA for the North Siders, he was unable to replicate that success in 2025, stumbling to a 9.20 in 11 appearances before being designated for assignment in September.

While Pearson's career has been marked by injuries and inconsistencies, he still has the raw stuff to compete.

Hopefully by returning to the rotation, he is able to hold steady and finally become what the Blue Jays initially saw in him almost a decade ago.