Miami Marlins acquire right-handed pitcher Ryan Gusto and two Minor League prospects from Houston Astros
MIAMI – The Miami Marlins today announced that the team has acquired right-handed pitcher Ryan Gusto, Minor League infielder Chase Jaworsky and Minor League outfielder Esmil Valencia from the Houston Astros in exchange for outfielder Jesús Sánchez.
Gusto, 26, has made 24 appearances (14 starts) in his first season with the Astros in 2025, producing a 7-4 record with a 4.92 ERA (47 ER/86.0 IP), 95 hits, 28 walks, and 87 strikeouts. The 6-foot-4 right-hander made his first career Opening Day roster and made his Major League debut with Houston on March 31, tossing 2.0 scoreless innings in relief.
The Charlotte, N.C. native won the Pacific Coast League ERA title in 2024, posting a 3.70 mark (61 ER/148.1 IP) and a league-best 141 strikeouts while going 8-6 in a career-high 29 games (26 starts). Gusto was tabbed a PCL All-Star during the breakout campaign, while earning the league’s Pitcher of the Month award in July and Pitcher of the Week award on Aug. 4. Despite losing two consecutive seasons due to COVID-19 and “Tommy John” surgery during his minor-league tenure within the Astros system, he produced a 21-16 record with a 4.31 ERA (174 ER/363.0 IP), 324 hits, 142 walks, and 371 strikeouts in 83 appearances (56 starts) over parts of four seasons. Originally selected by Houston in the 11th round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of Florida Southwestern State College (Cypress Lake, Fla.), he began his collegiate career at Broward College in Weston, Fla.
Jaworsky, 21, ranks as Houston’s 13th-best prospect per MLB Pipeline and entered the 2025 campaign named the Best Defensive Infielder and Best Infield Arm per Baseball America. Through 57 games at High-A Asheville this season, the 6-foot-1 shortstop is second on the team with 24 stolen bases while owning a .242/.353/.359 (48x198) offensive slash line with 32 runs, 10 doubles, two triples, three home runs, and 29 RBI. He produced the club’s second-longest on-base streak in the season (15 games), collecting hits in 11 of the 15 games with a .292 AVG (14x48), .443 OBP, 10 runs, five doubles, one triple, 10 RBI, and 11 stolen bases in the span from June 28-July 20. The left-handed hitter has played 144 games amid his third professional season and owns a career .240 AVG (123x513) with 81 runs, 30 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 63 RBI, and 52 stolen bases. Houston originally selected the Highland Ranch, Colo. native in the fifth round of the 2023 First-Year Player Draft out of Rock Canyon High School in his hometown.
Valencia, 19, is slashing .263/.325/.357 (79x300) with 42 runs, nine doubles, two triples, five home runs, 36 RBI, and 50 stolen bases through 83 games this season with Single-A Fayetteville, drawing 22 walks against 82 strikeouts in his third season in the Astros’ system. His 50 stolen bases this season lead all Astros’ farmhands and are the fifth-most at the Single-A level in 2025. The right-handed hitting outfielder enjoyed his best month of the season in July, batting .288 (23x80) with a .754 OPS in 29 games, with five extra-base hits and 17 steals, his most in any month this far into his professional career. The Nizao, D.R. native, who was previously ranked the 21st-best prospect during the 2023 International signing period, has gone 170x632 (.269) with a .703 OPS in 170 Minor League games since being signed by Houston as an International free agent in January 2023.
Sánchez, 27, is slashing .256/.320/.420 (78x305) in 86 games with Miami this season with 38 runs scored, 12 doubles, a career-high four triples, 10 home runs, and 36 RBI. The left-handed hitter has recorded double-digit home runs in five-straight seasons with the Marlins and owns a career .243 AVG (417x1719), 83 doubles, 13 triples, 69 home runs, and 226 RBI in 532 games with the organization across parts of six Major League seasons (2020-25). The Higuey, D.R. native was originally acquired by Miami from Tampa Bay on July 31, 2019.