The Atlanta Braves have finalized their earlier deal with the Houston Astros, officially sending minor league right-hander Patrick Halligan to Houston as the player to be named later in the trade that brought veteran reliever Rafael Montero to Atlanta. The move, announced by the Astros on Friday, completes the transaction agreed upon earlier this week. On Tuesday, Houston dealt 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 is now confirmed to be Halligan, a former 13th-round pick of the Kansas City Royals.

Halligan, 25, has yet to make his major league debut. A product of Pensacola State College (Fla.), the righty was drafted by the Royals in 2021 but was released in April 2023. Atlanta quickly scooped him up, and he’s spent the past two seasons in the Braves’ farm system. Over five seasons in the minors, Halligan has compiled an 11–15 record with a 4.39 ERA and six saves in 107 appearances (16 starts). He’s struck out 218 batters in 209 innings, maintaining a 2.79 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Before the deal, Halligan had opened the 2025 campaign with Double-A Mississippi, allowing two earned runs on one hit over a single inning of work. He’ll now report to the Astros’ Double-A affiliate, the Corpus Christi Hooks, where Houston will look to develop him into a potential bullpen piece. As for Montero, the veteran right-hander made his Braves debut earlier this week, tossing a scoreless inning out of the bullpen.

Montero, a key member of Houston’s 2022 World Series-winning staff, has pitched in 11 major league seasons with five teams: the Mets, Rangers, Mariners, Astros, and now the Braves. He originally debuted with the New York Mets in 2014 and has since posted a career 22–28 record with a 4.70 ERA and 47 saves in 325 appearances (30 starts). The Braves are banking on Montero’s experience and late-inning reliability as they navigate early-season bullpen inconsistencies.