Nelson Figueroa was a non-tender candidate heading into his first season of arbitration eligibility, but the Astros have avoided having to make a decision on him before tomorrow night’s deadline by signing him to a one-year, $900,000 contract.
Figueroa has bounced around for a decade in the majors and minors, but pitched well for the Astros and Phillies this season with a 3.29 ERA and 73/34 K/BB ratio in 93 innings.
General manager Ed Wade indicated that Figueroa will compete for the fifth spot in the rotation and he has plenty of bullpen experience if the Astros decide to move him there instead. Despite being 36 years old Figueroa has just now accumulated enough service time to be arbitration eligible. He was claimed off waivers from the Phillies in July.
