HOUSTON — The Astros filled an opening in their rotation, agreeing to a $4.5 million, one-year contract with 32-year-old left-hander Wade Miley.
Miley could earn an additional $500,000 in performance bonuses. Miley already has passed the physical needed to finalize the agreement, but the deal was not immediately announced by the Astros on Thursday.
Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole head a rotation also projected to include Collin McHugh and possibly Brad Peacock.
Dallas Keuchel became a free agent after the World Series and remains unsigned.
Miley was 5-2 with a 2.57 ERA in 16 starts and 80 2/3 innings for the Milwaukee Brewers last year.
He agreed to a minor league contract in mid-February, made three starts at Double-A Biloxi, then joined the Brewers in early May. He went on the disabled list with a strained oblique after just two starts and did not return to the Brewers until July 12.
Miley had a 1.23 ERA in four postseason starts — in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series, he walked leadoff batter Cody Bellinger, then was replaced by right-hander Brandon Woodruff in an unusual strategy employed by Brewers manager Craig Counsell.
Miley earned $2,743,011 last year, which included a prorated share of his $2.5 million salary and $700,000 in performance bonuses based on innings and starts.
An eight-year major league veteran who was an All-Star in 2012, Miley is 71-76 with a 4.26 ERA. He also has pitched for Arizona (2011-14), Boston (2015), Seattle (2016) and Baltimore (2016-17).
