Astros, Reddick agree to 4-year deal

HOUSTON -- The Astros have agreed on a four-year deal with free-agent outfielder Josh Reddick, the club announced on Wednesday.
The pact is worth $52 million, a source previously confirmed.
Reddick, who will turn 30 in February, hit .281 with 10 home runs and 37 RBIs in 115 games split between the Athletics and Dodgers last season and satisfies the Astros' need for a left-handed-hitting outfielder. Primarily a right fielder in his career, Reddick's signing means George Springer will likely play center field next season.
Reddick, a former Gold Glove Award winner with the A's, is a career .255 hitter with a .316 on-base percentage in eight years in the big leagues. He was traded to the Dodgers in the Rich Hill deal halfway through last season and batted .258 in 47 games.
By signing free-agent pitcher Charlie Morton, trading with the Yankees for Brian McCann and signing Reddick, the Astros have pretty much completed their major offseason checklist. Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said the team planned to be aggressive, and the recent movement has backed him up.
With McCann and Reddick in the lineup, the Astros can put them around a young core that includes Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman, Evan Gattis, Yulieski Gurriel and Springer. Suddenly, the Astros' lineup is deep and dangerous.

Fantasy spin | Fred Zinkie (@FredZinkieMLB)
While Reddick hit just 10 homers across 439 plate appearances last season, he posted a career-best .281 batting mark and continued to show solid plate discipline by logging a 0.7 BB/K ratio. Now part of an improving Astros squad that has also added McCann and Norichika Aoki this offseason, Reddick should help deep-mixed-league owners by producing a solid average, close to 15 homers and a handful of steals next season. With a lifetime .786 OPS against right-handers (.641 OPS vs. southpaws), the left-handed hitter will likely work the heavy side of a platoon for Houston.