Astros seal deal with McCullers
SAN DIEGO — The Astros on Friday agreed to terms with pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. on a oneyear, $4.1 million deal to avoid arbitration.
McCullers’ salary is unchanged from 2019, a season in which he did not pitch after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He will be arbitration-eligible again for a fourth and final time after the 2020 season.
The 24-year-old McCullers will be at full go when Houston reports to spring training in February. He is expected to slot behind Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke in the Astros’ rotation, one undergoing severe overhaul following the departures of Gerrit Cole and Wade Miley.
“Lance is doing great in his rehab,” manager A.J. Hinch said at the winter meetings. “He's doing everything we've asked him to do moving into off-season mode. We have a throwing program that we have set up for him. He knows what he needs to do to get himself ready. He's anxious to get on the mound and compete again.
“So we'll probably have to rein him in a little bit in the spring, but I love where he's at mentally and physically; that he knows he's coming back to be in our rotation.”
McCullers was one of Houston’s seven unsigned arbitration-eligible players — a group headlined by George Springer, Roberto Osuna and Carlos Correa. The remaining six players have until Jan. 10 to exchange salary figures with the team. If the two parties cannot agree on a salary, arbitration hearings will be held in February.
MLBTradeRumors projects the Astros will fork over $48 million to their remaining arbitrationeligible players.
Odds and ends
Former All-Star righthander and Texas A&M star Michael Wacha and the Mets completed a $3 million, one-year contract that includes $8 million in performance bonuses … Right-hander Jesse Hahn returned to the Kansas City Royals just 11 days after he was let go when he agreed to a $600,000, one-year contract.