The Houston Astros have announced the signing of outfielder Colby Rasmus to a one-year deal today. Rasmus will make $8 million this year, according to Matt Yallof of MLB Network. Rasmus' deal with the Astros includes no options, according to Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports. 

Rasmus, 28, is coming off a season in which he slashed .225/.287/.448 with 18 home runs and 40 runs batted in over 376 plate appearances with the Blue Jays. He missed 33 games last season, with a hamstring strain. Believe it or not, the numbers he did post were better than average, as according to both Adjusted OPS+ (104) and Weighted Runs Created Plus (103), Rasmus was better than the average player offensively in the major leagues. 

Defensively, Rasmus saw his worst season in the outfield since 2011. He registered a -7 defensive runs saved and a -15.3 Ultimate Zone Rating per 150 games, both career-worsts. Rasmus, traditionally a very good fielder, finished 75th out of 81 fielders in the Major Leagues among outfielders in UZR/150 (minimum 700 innings played). The Astros need to hope for a rebound in 2015.

The Astros just yesterday traded center fielder Dexter Fowler to the Cubs, so Rasmus will slide in nicely there. In the outfield, it appears that he will be playing alongside Evan Gattis and George Springer in 2015. The Astros have done a lot to upgrade their team next year and could perhaps be a sleeper to contend in the American League next season. 

Over his career, Rasmus has slashed .246/.313/.438 with 116 home runs and 352 runs batted in over six years in the big leagues, three mostly with the Blue Jays and three mostly with the Cardinals. Rasmus, the 28th overall pick in the 2005 MLB Draft, will be reunited with Astros GM Jeff Luhnow, who, in 2005, helped to pick Rasmus as the vice president of player procurement for St. Louis.

--Devan Fink

The Washington Nationals agreed to sign right-handed starter Max Scherzer to a seven-year deal, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports first reported. According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, Scherzer's deal with the Nationals will be for $210 million with half deferred, meaning he will make $15 million for 14 years. 

The signing of Scherzer came following an eventful Sunday in the baseball world. Reports surfaced early Sunday that there was an "increasing sense" around the league that Scherzer would sign with the Nationals. More reports followed, saying that Scherzer had two seven-year deals, one of which from the Nationals. Then, late Sunday, a report stated that the pact with Washington was close.

The Nationals were mentioned as a possible suitor for Scherzer throughout the offseason, but many believed that with their rotation, they would only sign Scherzer if they thought they could unload another starter. That could mean that  Jordan Zimmermann or even Stephen Strasburg is on the move. However, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the early view is that Nationals plan to keep Zimmermann. 

The Nationals rotation looks like this: Scherzer, Zimmermann, Strasburg, Doug Fister, Gio Gonzalez. They have now run out of room for Tanner Roark, who will likely head to the bullpen in 2015. This rotation should be able to allow the Nationals to blow through the regular season and into the playoffs, with a real chance of winning the World Series. They had that chance even before signing Scherzer, but now they are more built and prepared to make a run deep into October. 
 
Scherzer's $210 million guarantee is by far the largest contract on the Nationals, blowing away Jayson Werth's seven-year, $126 million deal that brought him from Philadelphia to Washington. 

Would the Nationals have been better off extending Zimmermann for less than Scherzer's $180 million and not worrying about what to do with him now? I don't know. Zimmermann and Scherzer are similar, however, Zimmermann is two years younger and did post better numbers last season. However, Scherzer is a Cy Young award winner, and not too often does someone of his caliber go on the market.

Scherzer was a 1st round pick back in the 2006 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2009, he was traded from the Diamondbacks to the Tigers in a three-team deal with the Yankees. Over his seven-year big league career, Scherzer is 91-50 with a 3.58 ERA, 1.219 WHIP, and a 3.39 FIP, to go along with a 117 Adjusted ERA+ in 1239.1 innings pitched. He's a two-time All-Star and the 2013 AL Cy Young award winner.

Last season, the 30-year-old Scherzer went 18-5 with a 3.15 ERA, 1.175 WHIP, and a 2.85 FIP. He registered a 252 to 63 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 220.1 innings pitched. He was worth 6.0 rWAR.

--Devan Fink

The San Francisco Giants and outfielder Nori Aoki have agreed to a one-year, $4 million deal, reports John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle and Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. 

Aoki's deal with San Francisco includes an option for 2016, which is valued at $5.5 million, reports Shea. Heyman reports that Aoki's deal will net him $4 million this season, plus a $700,000 buyout on his option, along with performance bonuses. That means that Aoki's total guarantee is $4.7 million. He can make a maximum of $12.5 million over the two seasons.

The Braves, Orioles, and Giants were all connected to Aoki this offseason. The Giants had a real need in the outfield, particularly left, where Aoki will serve as an upgrade over Gregor Blanco, who will likely become the team's fourth outfield. Overall, the Giants have Hunter Pence, Angel Pagan, and now Aoki roaming their outfield in San Francisco. 

The 33-year-old Aoki is from Japan and came to the United States in January 2012, signing with the Milwaukee Brewers. Aoki was a patient hitter in the Japan Central League, posting a .402 on-base percentage in eight seasons with the Yakult Swallows. Aoki has been good since coming to play in the Major Leagues, hitting .287/.353/.387/.741 with 19 career homers and 130 runs batted in over three seasons. 

Aoki was traded to the Royals last offseason for Will Smith and manned mostly right field for them. In 549 plate appearances, he hit .285/.349/.360/.710 with one home runs, 22 doubles, six triples, and 17 stolen bases (25 attempts). Aoki was worth 104 weighted runs created plus (wRC+) in 132 games. Overall, Aoki is above average on offense, defense, and the base paths, and was worth a solid 2.3 fWAR last season.

While Aoki and Gregor Blanco are similar players, the Giants have been looking for an outfield upgrade this offseason. He should do a good job of filling that role for San Francisco.

--Devan Fink

The St. Louis Cardinals and right-handed starter Lance Lynn have agreed to a three-year deal, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. 

The deal is worth $22 million, reports Heyman, and will not buy out any of his free agent seasons with options, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Goold also reports that Lynn's deal with the Cardinals includes incentives, based on games started, that could bring it up to a total guarantee of $23.5 million. 

The three-year pact will buyout all three of Lynn's arbitration seasons, as he was going to be receiving his first arbitration payday this offseason. Now, he will earn a consistent $7.3 million AAV (Annual Average Value), without worrying about his salary being based on his performance. 

Lynn was projected to earn $5.5 million in arbitration, according to MLB Trade Rumors which would be a record for first-time arbitration-eligible players. It would be expected that Lynn would have fallen short of the $5.5 million mark, but he could still expect to make around $4.5 million. 

The 27-year-old Lynn pitched 203.2 innings last season, registering a 2.74 ERA and a 3.35 FIP. Over his 33 starts with St. Louis, Lynn posted a 1.262 WHIP, with a 8.0 K/9 ratio, 3.2 BB/9 ratio, and a 2.51 strikeout-per-walk ratio. Lynn was worth 3.7 rWAR last season, a career-high. 

Lynn has a career 3.46 ERA and a 3.34 FIP over four seasons in the big leagues, all with the Cardinals. He has thrown 616 innings, is a World Series champion, and looks to be an anchor in the Cardinals rotation for many seasons to come. As of right now, he will hit free agency following the 2017 season, when he is just 30-years-old. It appears to be a good contract for both sides. 

--Devan Fink

The Houston Astros have acquired catcher Evan Gattis and right-hander James Hoyt from the Atlanta Braves, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The teams have since  officially announced the deal.

In exchange for Gattis and Hoyt, the Braves acquired right-handed pitching prospect Michael Foltynewicz and Rio Ruiz, along with a third prospect, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that right-handed pitching prospect Andrew Thurman is also included in the deal. 

Gattis was reportedly in Houston yesterday for a physical, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported. However, the Astros could not have brought Gattis in for a physical without agreeing to a trade first, tweeted Rosenthal. Shortly thereafter, a trade was agreed upon by the two clubs and reported.

The Astros currently have four catchers already on their roster, with Jason Castro, Hank Conger, Carlos Corporan, and Max Stassi all listed on their depth chart. Gattis could also fill in at left field, as Robbie Grossman is the current starter out there. He has a career .683 OPS in 710 plate appearances. 

The 28-year-old Gattis still has four years of team control ahead of him and should fill in nicely in the Astros lineup. Last season, in 401 plate appearances, Gattis hit .263/.317/.493 with 22 home runs and 52 runs batted in, playing mostly catcher last season. He has an Adjusted 125 OPS+ in 108 games last year.

Defensively, Gattis was a below-average fielder at both catcher and left field during his time there. He was particularly bad in left, posting a -24.1 UZR/150 in just 342.1 innings out there. He may be an offensive upgrade as compared to Grossman, but defensively, he is not good at all. However, with the short porch in Minute Maid Park, he may have to cover less ground and could be a better defender.

The 28-year-old Hoyt is a career minor leaguer. After not being drafted, Hoyt pitched in the Independent Leagues and in Mexico (similar to Triple-A). Hoyt struck out 13.9 hitters per nine in 13.1 innings in Mexico, and was signed by the Braves as a result. Last season, Hoyt made it all the way to Triple-A Gwinnett, where he struggled with command and posted a 5.46 ERA, 4.5 BB/9, and 10.9 K/9 in 28 innings pitched. 

In return, the Braves are receiving three top Astros prospect. Right-hander Michael Foltynewicz was ranked as the Astros' third-best prospect (per Baseball America). The 23-year-old and former 1st round pick in 2010 posted a 5.08 ERA in 102.2 innings with Triple-A Oklahoma City last season. He had a 1.96 strikeout-per-walk ratio.

Third baseman Rio Ruiz was ranked as the Astros' third-best prospect. He was in High Single-A Lancaster last season, he slashed .293/.387/.436 with 11 homers and 77 runs batted in over 602 plate appearances last season. And finally, the Braves received 23-year-old Andrew Thurman, who went 7-9 with a 5.38 ERA in Single-A Quad Cities last season.

--Devan Fink