Astros’ Joe Espada showers ‘red-a**’ Mike Burrows with spring training praise

The Houston Astros are looking to bounce back after a disappointing 2025 season saw them fall out of the playoff picture entirely after the Seattle Mariners surged and took the AL West crown away from their grasp. But 2026 brings a fresh start, and with Spring Training now underway, there are already a few players turning heads for the Astros — with seemingly none of them being more impressive than new acquisition Mike Burrows.

Burrows is entering just his second full season in the big leagues, and the Astros are betting that he’s going to be building off of his 3.94 ERA, 19-start rookie campaign for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2025. But beyond the skill he possesses, he has a fire in him that has caught the attention of manager Joe Espada.

“[He] got a little bit of red-a** in him, which I like a lot,” Espada said of Burrows, via Eric Hole of Fansided.

The word “red-a**” means that someone has an indescribable competitive fire in them that they have to resort to such an adjective to convey what they mean.

The Astros’ gamble on Burrows as a potential long-term piece in their starting rotation stems not just from their belief in his stuff, but confidence that he’ll only continue to get better considering the way he carries himself on the mound.

Astros’ trade for Mike Burrows might be the steal of the offseason

Burrows is far from the most accomplished starting pitcher in MLB. But the Astros’ acquisition of him could very well be a steal considering what they gave up. Anderson Brito could be a major name on the mound someday, but Burrows is more advanced in his development, is only 26 years of age, and he’s not going to be arbitration-eligible until 2029.

He throws hard (around 95 mph with his fastball), and the Astros think that they can unlock a higher level out of him.

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