HOUSTON — The Houston Astros announced Wednesday they were designating relief pitcher Rafael Montero for assignment.
The move was made a day after the trade deadline in which the Astros made moves for a left-handed starter and a left-handed reliever.
Before the 2023 season, Houston signed Montero to a three-year, $36 million deal. His annual salary was $11.5 million.
The Astros traded for Yusei Kikuchi and Caleb Ferguson in the last couple of days. To make room for them on the roster, the team said it optioned Seth Martinez to AAA and DFA'd Montero.
When a team designates a player for assignment, it means that the player is immediately removed from the club's 40-man roster and the team has seven days to either trade him or place him on waivers. If the player is placed on waivers and claimed by another team, he's immediately added to the new team's 40-man roster.
Montero is the second somewhat surprising cut of the 2024 season. Last month, Houston moved on from José Abreu about halfway through his three-year deal that was signed before the 2023 season.
