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Astros make it official with Hampton

Wed 3rd, December 2008

Houston, TX (Sports Network) - The Houston Astros have signed starting pitcher Mike Hampton to a one-year contract, worth $2 million plus incentives.

"Mike provides an immediate upgrade to our starting rotation," said Houston general manager Ed Wade. "He averaged more than six innings a start over his last nine outings last year, and eight of those starts were quality starts. Mike is a fierce competitor and a great teammate. I suspect that he will be on a mission this season to be out there battling every fifth day. He makes us better."

This will be Hampton's second stint in Houston, where he enjoyed some of the best years of his career. A career-high, 22-win season in 1999 saw him finish second to Randy Johnson in the Cy Young Award voting. A successful six-year stint with the club ended after that season with Hampton joining the Mets for one season.

He went on to pitch for Colorado for two years (2001-02) and then signed with Atlanta, where his career has been racked with injuries. Hampton made 60 starts for the Braves over his first two seasons (2003-04) but has since made just 25 over the past four years.

Hampton, 36, missed the entire 2006 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery and had the 2007 season wiped out due to a strained oblique and torn flexor tendon.

In 388 career games, including 334 starts, for the Mariners, Astros, Mets, Rockies and Braves, the veteran lefty is 141-105 with a 4.01 earned-run average.

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