Astros Sign Cavan Biggio to Minor-League Deal, Non-Roster Spring Invite

The Houston Astros signed infielder/outfielder Cavan Biggio to a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to big-league spring training as a non-roster player, the club announced Feb. 15, 2026. Biggio, a left-handed hitter, reported to West Palm Beach, Fla., that Sunday, underwent a physical and was scheduled to work out with the club the following day as he prepares to compete for a bench spot ahead of Houston’s Feb. 21 spring opener against the Washington Nationals. Manager Joe Espada framed the signing in baseball terms: “Love the bat. Lefty bat, can play multiple positions. Professional approach from the left side, gets on base. … I’m looking forward to having him here and giving him opportunities to make the club.”

A veteran of parts of seven major-league seasons, Biggio has appeared in 561 big-league games and owns a career .223/.339/.373 slash line with 52 home runs and 190 RBIs. Local coverage recapped ancillary career totals of 80 doubles, 262 walks and a .712 OPS, while other records list 33 career steals. Biggio was drafted 162nd overall in the fifth round of the 2016 draft out of Notre Dame and debuted in May 2019 with the Toronto Blue Jays, where his rookie campaign included 16 home runs, 48 RBIs, a .242/.368/.430 slash and 3.1 bWAR that earned Rookie of the Year consideration.

Recent performance, however, underlines why Biggio is a non-roster invite rather than a guaranteed roster piece: he spent 2025 with the Kansas City Royals, appearing in 37 games and making 83 plate appearances, slashing .174/.296/.246 with one home run in that sample. The signing pairs a 30-year-old who “turns 31 in April” with an Astros bench that will evaluate whether his left-handed bat and major-league experience can translate into meaningful, everyday value during Grapefruit League play.

Defensively Biggio offers the kind of utility flexibility that clubs prize in spring competition: he has played every position except pitcher and catcher, including 219 starts at second base and 104 combined starts across all three outfield positions. That versatility frames him as a candidate for part-time at-bats against right-handers and late-inning defensive substitution roles if he can regain the on-base skills he showed early in his career.

The signing carries cultural weight for Houston. Biggio is the son of Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, who spent 20 seasons with the Astros from 1988 to 2007; Cavan and brother Conor were bat boys in the dugout when Craig reached 3,000 hits in 2007. Craig Biggio called the moment “special,” saying, “We're really excited for him, excited for the team and really looking forward to him wearing an Astros uniform and playing. We'll see how it goes. I'm excited for him.” Cavan himself reflected on the return to Houston: “The colors are a little different, but the meaning is still the same. It's definitely a little bit more special wearing it as a player than, say, a bat boy.”

Beyond the family storyline, analysts have highlighted roster context for the move, noting Houston’s need for left-handed bench options after recent roster churn. For Biggio the immediate assignment is clear: translate spring workouts in West Palm Beach into demonstrable at-bats and defensive reps, and earn one of the bench openings Espada says he will hand out in camp.