Joe Smith, champion Astros agree to $15M, 2-year contract
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) Right-hander Joe Smith and the World Series champion Houston Astros have agreed to a $15 million, two-year contract.
The 33-year-old gets $7 million next year and $8 million in 2019.
He was 3-0 with one save and 71 strikeouts over 54 innings in 59 relief appearances this year for Toronto and Cleveland, which reacquired him for a pair of minor leaguers at the July 31 trade deadline. Smith pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings over four games in the AL Division Series against the New York Yankees.
Smith is 44-28 with a 2.97 ERA in 698 relief appearances over 11 big league seasons that also included time with the New York Mets (2007-08), Cleveland (2009-13), the Los Angeles Angels (2014-16) and the Chicago Cubs (2016).
His deal was announced Wednesday at the winter meetings, and Smith was to be introduced at a news conference Thursday at Minute Maid Park.
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