The Houston Astros acquire right-handed relief pitcher Kendall Graveman from the Chicago White Sox.
The deal was made on Friday, just four days before the MLB draft deadline as the Astros make the move for Graveman while the Sox get minor league prospect Korey Lee. The announcement was made by Houston General Manager Dana Brown.
This will be Graveman’s second stint with Houston as he played for the Astros during the 2021 season. The 32 year old posted a 3-4 record with eight saves and a 3.48 ERA (17ER/44IP) in 45 appearances with the White Sox this season.
In his two months with the Astros, Graveman logged a 3.13 ERA (8ER/23IP) in 23 appearances and averaged 10.6 strikeouts-per-nine-innings. He also recorded a 1.64 ERA (2ER/11IP) through nine appearances in the 2021 postseason, including three appearances in the World Series.
The nine-year vet has a career 4.00 ERA (305ER/629.2IP) and 24 saves through 257 career appearances (80 starts). Over his last three seasons, pitching exclusively as a reliever, he has gone 11-9 with 24 saves while posting a 2.78 ERA (51ER/165IP) and a .219 opponent’s batting average in 163 appearances.
After this season, Graveman will have one year left on his current contract that includes an $8 million base salary, $2,795,715 Luxury Tax Salary, and an $8 million Payroll Salary.
Lee, who was a 25 year old minor league prospect was selected 32nd overall in the 2019 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Astros from University of California-Berkeley and has spent the last five years in the Astros system. He made his Major League debut last season and batted .160 (4×25) with two doubles and four RBI in 12 appearances, making seven starts at catcher. Lee has spent the entirety of this season with Triple A Sugar Land and has batted .283 (80×283) with five home runs and 32 RBI.
The Astros still have time to make more deal with the MLB trade deadline being scheduled for Tuesday, August 1st.