Astros tried to land Twins' 2.03 ERA reliever at trade deadline

At the MLB trade deadline, the Houston Astros swung three deals, all with the focus on improving the offense. But the team was exploring deals for potential pitching help. Their pursuit of Dylan Cease was well-known, but they were also going after bullpen help.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Astros were looking to land a Minnesota Twins reliever at the trade deadline, with an eye on Griffin Jax, a right-handed reliever. But, they weren't pursuing him alone; he would've been a part of the Carlos Correa blockbuster.

"Particularly when the Astros insisted on the Twins eating upward of $50 million of the $104 million owed Correa through the end of 2028 and throwing in a reliever like Jax." Passan writes.

The massive deal proposed by the Astros was turned down, and while both sides would agree to a Correa trade, Jax was also dealt at the deadline; the 30-year-old reliever didn't wind up in Houston.

He was dealt in the final hour of the trade deadline to the Tampa Bay Rays for starting pitcher Taj Bradley. It was not a cheap deal for the Rays, as the equivalent for the Astros would potentially include Spencer Arrighetti.

MORE: Astros agree to blockbuster trade with Twins for Carlos Correa

While Jax is under team control through the 2027 season, and was coming off a 2.03 ERA 2024 season, for 2.5 years of a reliever, Arrighetti would've been too much for the Astros to give up. They turned down Arrighetti (and others) for Cease.

The specific asking price for Jax isn't known, but based on the Rays package, Arrighetti is the best comp for the Astros. Based on the Astros turning down the San Diego Padres' offer for Cease, the Astros likely would've declined this as well.

But what makes this pursuit more interesting is that the Astros were trying to include Jax in the Correa trade. The Astros didn't give up much to land Correa, but including Jax in the deal would've made the return interesting.

Such a deal didn't make it far, as the Twins turned down that offer quickly. While both Correa and Jax were later dealt, it wasn't in the same deal.

The Astros pursued Jax at the deadline, something to keep in mind with Ryan Pressly and other veteran relievers on the free agent market after being released following a busy trade deadline

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