WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. and the Houston Astros have agreed to an $85 million, five-year contract covering 2022-26, a deal awaiting announcement by the team.
McCullers agreed on Jan. 15 to a $6.5 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. He would have been eligible for free agency after this year's World Series.
His new agreement calls for a $3.5 million signing bonus, payable within 30 days of the contract's approval by the commissioner's office, and salaries of $15.25 million in both 2022 and 2023, and $17 million annually from 2024-26. “Houston is where I want to be," he said at spring training on Feb.