The Atlanta Braves have completed their earlier trade with the Houston Astros by officially sending minor league right-hander Patrick Halligan to Houston as the player to be named later. This move finalizes the deal that brought veteran reliever Rafael Montero to Atlanta, as announced by the Astros on Friday. Originally agreed upon on Tuesday, the trade saw the Astros send the 34-year-old Montero—along with cash considerations—to the Braves in exchange for either cash or a player to be named. That player has now been identified as Halligan, a 25-year-old former 13th-round draft pick by the Kansas City Royals. Halligan, who played college ball at Pensacola State College in Florida, was drafted in 2021 but released by the Royals in April 2023. He was quickly picked up by Atlanta and has spent the last two seasons in their minor league system.
Over five minor league seasons, Patrick Halligan has recorded an 11–15 win-loss mark with a 4.39 ERA and six saves across 107 appearances, including 16 starts. He’s totaled 218 strikeouts over 209 innings, posting a solid 2.79 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Before the trade, Halligan began the 2025 season with Double-A Mississippi, giving up two earned runs on one hit in a lone inning of work. He will now join the Astros’ Double-A affiliate, the Corpus Christi Hooks, where the organization hopes to develop him into a potential bullpen contributor.
Meanwhile, Rafael Montero made his Braves debut earlier this week, throwing a scoreless inning out of the bullpen. A veteran of 11 MLB seasons, Montero was a key piece of Houston’s bullpen during their 2022 World Series title run. He has pitched for five teams—the Mets, Rangers, Mariners, Astros, and now Braves—since debuting with New York in 2014, accumulating a 22–28 record with a 4.70 ERA and 47 saves over 325 appearances, including 30 starts. Atlanta is counting on Montero’s veteran presence and late-inning dependability to help stabilize their bullpen amid early-season struggles.
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