Doug Fister's deal with the Astros is for $7 million, MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports.

Fister's deal with the Astros is for $7 million, MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports.

Analysis:

The deal also includes potential for $5 million more in performance bonuses related to innings pitched. He will presumably begin the year as the No. 5 starter, but his lack of strikeouts gives him a very small margin for error. Fister managed a 2.41 ERA and 1.08 WHIP back in 2014, but he also offered just 98 strikeouts in 164 innings, so he wasn't nearly as useful as those ratios indicate, and it seems far-fetched to expect another sub-3.00 ERA in 2016.