Report: Astros keep Sipp with three-year, $18 million deal
Tony Sipp proved himself to be a valuable part of the Houston Astros' bullpen in 2015, and it was enough to motivate the 'Stros to make sure he didn't get away.
On Thursday, word broke that the Astros reached agreement with Sipp on a three-year contract worth $18 million, as reported by FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal:
Sipp was more or less the Astros' primary left-handed reliever last season, appearing in 60 games and posting a 1.99 ERA while holding right-handed batters to a .190/.243/.370 clip. Lefties, meanwhile, hit .227/.290/.309 against him, as his reverse splits gave Houston something of a commodity from the left side.
Source: #Astros in agreement with free-agent LHP Tony Sipp, pending physical.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 10, 2015
Source: Sipp with #Astros is three years, $18M.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 10, 2015
Ever since joining the organization after being released by the San Diego Padres, Sipp has been a vital piece of the late-inning equation for Houston, and bringing him back was a big part of the Astros' stated plan to revamp the bullpen for next year. News of his re-signing comes as the Astros are said to have acquired closer Ken Giles from the Philadelphia Phillies for a package of players including pitcher Vincent Velasquez and position player prospect Derek Fisher.
