8:12pm: The teams announced the deal, which also sends an undisclosed amount of international bonus money to the Giants.
7:51pm: The Giants and Astros are in agreement on a trade that’ll send swingman Kai-Wei Teng to the Astros for catching prospect Jancel Villarroel, reports Chandler Rome of The Athletic. San Francisco needed to create a 40-man roster spot in order to finalize their two-year deal with Harrison Bader. It appears a Teng trade will be that corresponding move. Houston designated J.P. France for assignment to open a roster spot.
Teng, a Taiwanese-born righty, has made 12 MLB appearances over the past two seasons. They haven’t gone well, as he has been tagged for 7.30 earned runs per nine across 40 2/3 innings. Teng has managed a solid 23.7% strikeout rate but has been plagued by a lack of command. He has walked nearly 13% of opponents and plunked eight more (4.1%). That’s far too many free passes around which to work even with decent swing-and-miss stuff.
The 27-year-old has shown a similar approach in the minors, though he’s coming off a much better season in Triple-A. He worked mostly in a relief role and managed a 3.63 ERA behind a fantastic 37.1% strikeout percentage across 57 innings. Teng trimmed his walk rate to 9.2% at the level last season, but he has walked at least 10% of opponents at every other stop since he was in Low-A.
Teng throws five pitches and sits in the 93 MPH range with his four-seam fastball and sinker. A mid-80s sweeper is his preferred secondary pitch and got good results in a small sample of big league work. Teng has a couple minor league options remaining and can work as rotation depth or in long relief. The Astros evidently preferred his higher swing-and-miss ceiling to France after the latter has battled shoulder issues for a couple seasons.
San Francisco has a deeper rotation mix than Houston does. Teng, whom they non-tendered after the ’24 season before re-signing to a minor league deal, was a candidate to again be designated for assignment. It’s a nice bit of business to acquire a prospect for a pure depth arm. Villorroel, a 5’8″ backstop out of Venezuela, ranked as Houston’s 20th-best prospect at Baseball America. That comes with a caveat that the Astros’ system is as thin as any in the league.
The 20-year-old Villarroel is coming off a solid .259/.351/.388 line with eight homers in 100 games in A-ball. He walked at a 10.4% rate while striking out roughly 18% of the time. He also stole 20 bases in 27 attempts, though he’s unlikely to be a huge threat on the bases as he climbs the minor league ladder. Baseball America credits him with advanced pure hitting ability and plus arm strength, though his strike zone discipline and finer defensive skills are works in progress. He’s a development flier who appears to project as a future backup.
aww man – so long partner 🥺🇹🇼
bummer – the guy has some skill
I’m happy they got anything back for him.
Looked to be heading down DFA lane.
Had a good strike out per 9, but that’s about it. Didn’t see him consistent enough to make the rotation any time soon.
1..2 innings, 4, hits, 4 walks, 7 runs. Giants lose 11-1.
Puzzling from an Astros perspective. We just lost a catcher; why are we trading a prospect for a starter with a massive ERA, requiring us to send France down. Hopefully they have some advance stats that explain
A 21 year old in A ball? He wasnt playing for the Astros this year.
Teng has electric stuff, why did we trade Brito and Melton for Burrows? Because the Astros liked his stuff. Really excited to see what we can do with Teng.
You will LOVE Burrows.
I have nothing against Mike Burrows. However, Brito and Melton for him was a bit much (at first). Maybe Kikuchi is a better example of overpaying.
Teng was pretty frustrated last year and made note that he was having trouble shifting between roles between the rotation and the pen. I wouldn’t be surprised if with some consistency he had better results
Astros have some success with reclamations if they have good stuff, which this guy has. France has shoulder issues that have already cost 2 years, and those seldom turn out well.
Giants DFA Teng and then resigned him after going unclaimed.
He can be a serviceable pitcher, throws lots of junk. A new team might be able to unlock something and get a good pitcher
This is clearly not enough for Villarroel. Astros will hopefully get another piece but I’m not too sad because Astros can unlock lots of potential and he is kinda redundant in Astros farm.
We got your other piece waiting for you at Will Call!
Actually got some international bonus pool dollars coming too, so SFG gets the extra piece.
Yeah that was weird. Clearly an overpay by Houston for Teng.
He might do ok in your pen. SFG kept trying to make him go long due to pitch mix and stamina, but rarely worked out.
Once through the lineup at best.
“Clearly”?
This won’t help but the fact the Giants got value for Teng is a minor miracle.
Makes me think the Giants might get a lot for Birdsong if he looks good in the spring. Like Brendan Donovan in a package including Koss and Maui Ahuna; including Level would become an overpay.
Tang was the pitchers equivalent of a three true outcomes batter. He either struck you out, walked you, or gave up a bomb
Nah. He’d bean you too !
Hopefully Teng will make the most of his opportunity with the Astros
Teng has electric stuff. Dana Brown trades for guys he likes, and he likes Teng. Crane said he was investing in the Asian market, this helps show it. Really think this will pay off big dividends and unlock a ton of potential. Guessing he has a long leash.
As someone who watched multiple Teng starts last year, I think it’s pretty hard to call his stuff electric. He throws 93. He gets a lot of spin (maybe that’s the “electric” part), but often he cannot command it. And in no way do you want him going a third time thru a lineup once they’ve seen what he’s throwing.
Maybe the Astros pitching lab can figure out what to do with him, but he is a somewhat out of shape, lack of command guy who is prone to giving up crooked number innings.
It sounds like we got a lottery ticket in return – a guy with a small barrel body who may not fit anywhere on the field. So the Stros got a guy who might see some more time in MLB (but very possibly will struggle), and we got a guy who probably won’t make it, plus we got some intl bonus money (that we needed). So I guess it was a fair trade?
Very few pitchers in this league who can get thru a lineup a third time. Astros have always liked the guys who can spin; now we’ll see if they can harness his control. either way, we likely get more out of him than we would have France.
Yeah he doesn’t even get to the 3rd time through the lineup. Saw him pitch last year and he gave up 7 in 1.2 to the Padres in a must win game for the Giants. He was a DFA candidate realistically so the Giants getting anything for him is a win.
He has good stuff, but not good command. The Astros like this type of player and I’m very confident they will do something good with him.
I think you need to re-learn what the word electric means.
Astros have lots of catching depth
The real prize is Janek
I don’t think that Villarroel will stick. I really think that the catching condrum in the future is Janek and Mitchell as the two most likely prospects to stick. I could also see Will Bush do it but Villarroel likely isn’t.
Teng has electric stuff. Dana Brown trades for guys he likes, and he likes Teng. Crane said he was investing in the Asian market, this helps show it. Really think this will pay off big dividends and unlock a ton of potential. Guessing he has a long leash.
Why are you copying my comment?
Taiwan raising star
Villarroel is at Ashville (A+). That does not seem like someone that can help in 2026. The reason we have to get a backup catcher is because NONE of our catching prospects are ready. You are the one being 🤪 here.
OMG it’s a stopgap do you not understand?
But this guy in essence at the cost of JP France makes no sense
This guy fell off after his rookie campaign. Also, his stuff isn’t that good, he is bad at AAA. Makes sense why you bump France off.
International bonus pool to the Giants? Shouldn’t it be the other way around. Astros clearly not confident in Villarroel.
Always “undisclosed” amounts on these IBP deals. I wonder why ?
Giants have a soft spot for Venezuelan catchers.
That’s one Wei to improve improve a team. Did the trade include Tang drink mix?
Teng got a mountain of an opportunity last year. A really really really long leash. Obviously the long look didn’t impress. Never mind. Good luck to him.
I think Tidwell outshined him. Once he came onboard Teng got his last shot.
I for one, was not impressed.
He was an ok long relief type… seemed to get through 1 rotation without too much trouble, but the adjustments came quick after that.
It was a struggle.
“Oh. They are rolling Teng out again…..”
Bigger than Yangminshan?
Who is the best player from Taiwan ever? I have no clue.
Would have preferred a full year of Tang over 5 minutes of Houser, FIP 3.81 for both last year for what it’s worth.
Giants told Kai-Wei to hit the highway.
Look at you, going the extra mile to look up the pronunciation. Get that rhyme right !
As soon as he loses his command, which happens almost every start, get someone warmed up real fast, because you are now on the Kai-Wei to Hell.
Teng will be rolling along and then hit two guys, walk two more and look like he wants to crawl into a hole in the mound. Maybe he’ll figure it out (has a pretty good pitch mix) but he is really raw.
Flat out stupid letting JP France go. Unless he’s not recovering well, I don’t see how you can say good bye to France with Lame McCullers on the roster.
France SUCKS.
I like JP, but shoulder issues are career killers for pitchers.
Maybe Jeff Bagwell has been calling the shots again and he’s been drinking.
I think the international money is why Giants did this deal. They did trade with Marlins recently for international money. Must have prospects they still want to sign.
Then why did we include Villarroel.
France DFAed Taiwan added to 40 man roster