The Houston Astros have agreed with Doug Fister on a one-year, $7 million deal through the 2016 season, as the general manager Jeff Luhnow announced. Fister has already passed his physical and will be introduced at a press conference on Thursday afternoon. 

According to Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish, Fister will earn $7 million in the single season, but will get his contract to max out at $12 million if all performing bonuses are reached. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reported on Sunday that the Astros were "exploring the possibility" of signing Fister. Obviously, an agreement was made quicker than many expected because the righty was originally looking for a two-year, $22 million deal, as reported by Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.  

Fister will check in at the fourth spot in the starting rotation, which is behind Dallas Keuchel, Collin McHugh and Lance McCullers, but in front of either Scott Feldman or Mike Fiers, who are competing for the fifth spot in Houston's 2016 Opening Day rotation.  

Look for the Baltimore Orioles, who were in the running for Fister, to switch their view towards Yovani Gallardo, who is arguably the best starting pitcher left on the market. 

Fister, a right-handed pitcher, was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the seventh round of the 2006 MLB Draft and made his debut on August 8, 2009 against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The current 31-year-old made a huge case for himself with an 8-1 record and a 1.79 ERA after being traded from Seattle to the Detroit Tigers at the 2011 trade deadline. He went on to stay quite dominant for Detroit, before being dealt away to the Washington Nationals for Ian Krol, Steve Lombardozzi and Robbie Ray. Over the previous two seasons in Washington, Fister went 21-13 with a 3.10 ERA across 267.0 innings pitched. The 2015 season, however, was a struggle for the native of Merced, California. He logged a 5-7 record with a 4.19 ERA during an injury plagued season, which only saw the starting pitcher toss 103.0 innings. 

Fister's $7 million deal is a good once because it will give him the ability to increase his value in search of a multi-year deal next winter.

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About the author
Evan Petzold
Evan Petzold is a Detroit-based journalist with expertise in covering the Tigers, Pistons, and Red Wings. A member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) and Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association (DBSA), he brings a unique skill set in reporting and broadcasting to the table.