PRESS RELEASE
SEATTLE, WA – The Houston Astros have acquired right-handed pitcher Roberto Osuna from Toronto in exchange for three right-handed pitchers: Ken Giles, David Paulino and Hector Perez. The announcement was made by Astros President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Jeff Luhnow.
Luhnow will be made available via conference call tonight at 6 p.m. CT. The conference call can be accessed by dialing 1-832-844-2881. The conference participant code is 95890075#.
“We are excited to welcome Roberto Osuna to our team,” said Luhnow. “The due diligence by our front office was unprecedented. We are confident that Osuna is remorseful, has willfully complied with all consequences related to his past behavior, has proactively engaged in counseling, and will fully comply with our zero tolerance policy related to abuse of any kind. Roberto has some great examples of character in our existing clubhouse that we believe will help him as he and his family establish a fresh start and as he continues with the Houston Astros. We look forward to Osuna’s contributions as we head into the back half of the season.”
“I am excited to join the Houston Astros and move forward with a fresh start to my career,” said Osuna. “The positive character of my new teammates is a big reason for their success and I look forward to bringing a positive contribution to this great group of guys as we work towards many more winning seasons. I thank Jeff Luhnow and the entire Astros organization for believing in me – I will not let them down.”
Osuna, 23, a native of Juan Jose Rios, Mexico, joins the Astros after a four-year start to his career with the Blue Jays, including an All-Star appearance in 2017. This season, Osuna appeared in 15 games for the Blue Jays, posting nine saves and a 2.93 ERA (5ER/15.1IP).
He is currently serving a 75-game suspension and is eligible to be reinstated on Aug. 5. He will join the Astros in Los Angeles on Sunday. The Astros will make a corresponding 25-man roster move at that time.
Giles, 27, pitched three seasons in Houston (2016-18), making 166 appearances for the Astros and posting 61 saves. He pitched in 34 games for the Astros this season, posting a 4.99 ERA (17ER/30.2IP) before being optioned to Triple A Fresno on July 11. Giles was originally acquired via trade from Philadelphia on Dec. 12, 2015.
Paulino, 24, has made seven starts in the Astros minor league system this season. He’s currently pitching with the Astros Gulf Coast League affiliate as he returns from injury. Paulino has pitched in nine Major League games, making seven starts, for the Astros over the 2016-17 seasons. Paulino was originally acquired via trade from Detroit as the player to be named later in a deal completed on July 29, 2013.
Perez, 22, has pitched across two levels in the Astros minor league system this season and was pitching for Double A Corpus Christi at the time of the trade. He’s gone 3-4 with a 3.73 ERA (37ER/89.1IP) in 21 games (13 starts) in 2018. Perez was originally signed as a non-drafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic on July 7, 2014.