Astros officially acquire Gerrit Cole from Pirates

The Houston Astros have acquired starting pitcher Gerrit Cole from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

What It Means:

The two teams had reportedly closed in on a deal earlier this week, but nothing materialized. Cole will now enter the Astros' rotation as a top-4 starter. In return, the Pirates receive starter Joe Musgrove, third baseman Colin Moran, reliever Michael Feliz and minor league outfielder Jason Martin.

In 26 games, Cole went 12-12 with a 4.26 ERA and 196 strikeouts in 2017. He holds a career ERA of 3.50 through 5 MLB seasons.