Detroit, MI – The Chicago White Sox acquired right-hander Brett Myers from the Houston Astros on Saturday for a pair of pitching prospects and a player to be named later.
The White Sox, in a tight battle for the AL Central lead, gave up minor league pitchers Matt Heidenreich and Blair Walters to get Myers, the starter-turned- reliever who had 19 saves in 21 opportunities for the worst team in baseball this season.
Myers, 31, who once had four double-digit winning seasons in a row for the Phillies, was 0-4 with a 3.52 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 30.2 innings for the Astros this season. All 35 of his appearances have been out of the bullpen, though Myers worked as a starter during his first two seasons with Houston.
Heidenreich, a 21-year-old righty, went 9-4 with a 3.95 ERA in 18 combined starts with Single-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham and was a Carolina League mid-season All-Star.
Walters, a 22-year-old lefty, was 4-6 with a 3.96 ERA in 18 combined starts with Single-A teams Kannapolis and Winston-Salem.
Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow called the pitchers "talented, young prospects with big league upside." Heidenreich will be assigned to Double-A Corpus Christi and Walters will go to Single-A Lancaster.
The White Sox optioned right-hander Dylan Axelrod to Triple-A Charlotte after Saturday's loss to Detroit.
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