Inside the Astros

Houston Astros Among Teams ‘Interested’ in Resurgent KBO Star

The Houston Astros are one of the top teams interested in signing a KBO star trying to make his retrun to MLB.

Dylan Sanders

Left-hander Kyle Hart was consistent through much of the WooSox season
Left-hander Kyle Hart was consistent through much of the WooSox season / Ashley Green/Worcester Telegram & Gazette / USA TODAY NETWORK
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The Houston Astros pitching staff is looking like the team's strength right now, but they may not be done adding to it.

Will Sammon and Katie Woo of The Athletic recently reported that the Astros were among teams "interested" in signing southpaw Kyle Hart, a resurgent star coming off of an incredible bounce back season in the KBO.

Houston was mentioned along with the New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles, all of which need more pitching help than the Astros on paper.

It was also stated that Hart could either be a back-end starter or long reliever depending on the needs of the team that signs him. The latter seems like a bigger need for Houston.

The 32-year-old hurler was a 19th-round selection in the 2016 MLB draft by the Boston Red Sox. He had a very promising collegiate performance with the Indiana Hoosiers, but had a rough start to his professional career.

From 2016 to 2023, he had only appeared in four MLB games and had a 15.55 ERA. Batters had little trouble hitting him and he was inconsistent in getting strikeouts.

After his stint with the Red Sox was over with, he jumped around to a couple of other teams before electing free agency after the 2023 season.

Rather than signing another minor league deal, he decided on a one-year contract with the NC Dinos of the KBO.

The lefty had a great year, posting a 2.69 ERA with a 1.032 WHIP and 10.4 K/9. He also dropped his walk rate significantly, which was a contributing factor to his struggles.

He won the Choi Dong-won Award, which is equivalent to the Cy Young Award for the KBO.

The Korean league is where a lot of players have brought their career back to life, with Hart trying to be the next.

The Orioles found a gem in Albert Suarez that way, who actually spent a few years overseas in couple of different leagues. All the same, he was a MLB flameout who took some time away and came back an improved pitcher.

Hart would be an interesting depth piece for the pitching staff in Houston, which doesn't have many lefties in the mix. Bryan King is the only southpaw who isn't a dedicated starter or closer.

With the offense in a worse shape after this offseason, buffing up the available pitching staff makes sense.

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Dylan Sanders
DYLAN SANDERS

Dylan Sanders graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication in 2023. He was born in raised in Baton Rouge, LA but has also lived in Buffalo, NY. Though he is a recent graduate, he has been writing about sports since he was in high school, covering different sports from baseball to football. While in college, he wrote for the school paper The Reveille and for 247Sports. He was able cover championships in football, baseball and women's basketball during his time at LSU. He has also spent a few years covering the NFL draft and every day activities of the New Orleans Saints. He is a Senior Writer at Inside the Marlins and will also be found across Sports Illustrated's baseball sites as a contributing writer. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram @dillysanders

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