Astros, Rafael Montero attain 3-year, $34.5M deal

Reliever Rafael Montero agreed to a three-year, $34.5 million contract that may carry the right-hander again to the Houston Astros’ dominant bullpen per week after the workforce rode its pitching workers to a World Sequence title, sources accustomed to the deal instructed ESPN.

Montero, 32, thrived in his first full season with the Astros this yr, posting a 2.37 ERA in 68 1/3 innings and permitting simply three dwelling runs whereas putting out 73. The deal got here collectively on a transformative Friday for the Astros, who noticed normal supervisor James Click on reject a one-year contract from proprietor Jim Crane and depart the group.

Re-signing Montero deepens an Astros bullpen that already will return nearer Ryan Pressly, right-handed flamethrowers Ryne Stanek and Bryan Abreu, and stable righties Hector Neris and Phil Maton. It likewise continues the early pattern in free company of excessive salaries for aid pitchers, after the New York Mets signed Edwin Diaz to a five-year, $102 million contract and San Diego gave right-hander Robert Suarez a five-year deal price $46 million.

Houston acquired Montero in a July 2021 commerce from the Seattle Mariners and watched him blossom into the hardest-throwing model of himself but, with a fastball that averaged 96.5 mph. Of the remaining relievers obtainable in free company, Montero topped quite a lot of groups’ lists.

The contract is a guess on Montero’s 2022 greater than his earlier seasons. As soon as a well-regarded starting-pitching prospect, Montero bounced from the New York Mets to the Texas Rangers to the Mariners earlier than touchdown in Houston, the place he allowed two runs in 9 1/3 innings this postseason and struck out 10.

With a groundball fee of higher than 50% and excessive strikeout numbers, Montero was sure to generate widespread curiosity and took benefit of it with a deal that exceeded industry-wide expectations. In 182 profession video games, Montero has a 4.43 ERA as a reliever and struck out 213 in 201 1/3 innings.